Absolution

AN: I do not own anything in this story. Please R&R.

Beast Boy was lying on the roof watching the stars when Raven came out into the night. The changeling heard her but didn't register that she was actually there, his mind darting from one memory to another like a frightened animal. Raven found it odd that the changeling was out here instead of inside rotting his brain in front of the TV.

"Beast Boy." The changeling was jolted out of his thoughts at his name and then saw that Raven was standing over him. He sighed heavily.

"Yes, Raven, what have I done to you now?"

"Nothing, I was just wondering why you've been acting so odd lately."

"Odd? Raven, I'm a green skinned superhero who is best friends with a half man half computer. I don't think odd can even begin to describe me." His voice was sarcastic, and mimicked Raven's tone of voice when she was making fun of him. But Raven sensed something underneath the sarcasm, something dark.

"What's wrong with you?" She asked in her emotionless tone. The changeling started laughing at that.

"You of all people want to try and reach out to me? Did the news report mention anything about flying pigs recently?" Again he spoke in that sarcastic tone and this was making Raven annoyed.

"If you don't want my help, just say so." She turned to leave but was stopped by Beast Boy's hand on her shoulder.

"Forgive me, it's just…I'm so tired of everything. And recently I've decided that maybe I should just end it all, it wouldn't take much; life is so very fragile after all." Raven then slapped him across the face. A bruise started to form on Beast Boy's face.

"Don't ever think like that again." Raven said in her monotone voice but Beast Boy thought he heard her tone waver just a little bit. The changeling smiled sadly.

"You can't control me Raven, but then again I can't even control myself. Let me tell you a story. Once there was this boy born into a loving family. His life was filled with happiness until one day the boy's parent's drowned. The kid was unable to save his family and so he wandered around the world, not living just existing until one day he was found by another kind of family. They took him in and he was happy but soon his negligence cost this foster family their life and the boy was alone again. He was reduced to scrounging out of garbage bins and sleeping in cardboard boxes until one day he was visited by an angel. She rescued the boy from his poverty and introduced him to her friends. They soon became the third family in the child's life. By all rights the kid thought his days of hell were over. He had a purpose again and a reason to live. But all good things must come to an end." Beast Boy paused and looked deep into Raven's eyes. "Do you want me to continue?"

"Yes." The changeling sighed again.

"Very well, the kid, now a teenager, helped his family save others. It was a rewarding life but then something happened that caused the teen great pain. He fell in love. But the girl he loved betrayed him and his family. She hurt his angel and broke his heart. The troubles didn't end there. A major threat emerged, one that directly affected the teen's angel. And once again the boy couldn't do anything for anyone and she was taken from him. Another, more deserving person saved her and brought her back to the worthless wreck. And the boy once again went through the motions of life, but never lived, his angel vanishing from his life." Beast Boy stopped his tale at that, his head dropping to look at the ground, not meeting Raven's eyes. The pale beauty took one hand and lifted up the changeling's head to meet her violet orbs.

"I have a story to tell you, if you want to listen." Beast Boy nodded and Raven took a deep breath. "Once upon a time, there was a princess. From her birth her father had hurt her and the child's mother. They fled but soon the mother died, leaving the princess alone. She was found by some monks and hidden away, not allowed to visit anyone. After years of this treatment the princess decided to leave and so she traveled to a large city with many types of people. She met some companions, a brave warrior, a naïve but joyful child, and a powerful fighter. One day the princess was out with her friends when she spotted an odd person. The boy was poor and on his own but he acted like a jester. The princess invited him to live with her and her friends and the jester agreed happily." Raven paused when she noticed Beast Boy stiffen. "Is something wrong?"

"No, it's just that this story reminds me of someone I know." Raven then continued her story.

"So the five companions lived together and the princess was happy, but sometimes the jester would try and get her to smile, not knowing that her smiles along with her laughter had been taken long ago by her father. The princess told him but the jester was very stubborn. Then one day the princess met a knight, he seemed so much like her that she fell in love. But the knight was really a worm and broke the princess's heart. Her jester played for her and eventually helped her repair her broken heart. Then another lady came and stole the jester from the princess. This temptress bewitched the jester and eventually betrayed him. The months passed and the princess's father returned for his daughter. Her jester couldn't save her, the princess's father was too strong, but he did give her his good luck charm. The princess held onto it until the end. Eventually the princess's father was banished forever and the princess was reunited with the jester and she was very happy." Raven finished her story and Beast Boy had a goofy grin on his face. "What's so amusing?"

"Nothing, I just liked the story. How was mine, it wasn't near your story but I thought it was okay."

"It made me feel very sorry for that child. And it was also strange that my story ended happily while yours had a depressing ending."

"Weird isn't it?" Beast Boy then yawned. "Well, this teen is going off to bed." Beast Boy was heading towards the door when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning around slowly, the changeling looked into Ravens face and stared deep into her violet eyes.

"Don't go." Raven whispered, the two words nearly escaping even Beast Boy's keen hearing.

"Why should I stay?" Beast Boy asked, his voice trembling. "I have nothing here. My angel doesn't speak to me." Raven then hugged on to Beast Boy tightly.

"I'm speaking to you now. Gar, I…love you." Beast Boy's eyes widened at that. Raven glanced into his eyes, hoping that he still loved her.

"Rae, I can't protect you. I couldn't even help you when you needed me the most. I don't deserve an angel like you." He tried to extricate himself from Raven but the empath held on tighter.

"No, but you try. We can't always protect the one's we care about. But there is something you do that no one else can do for me."

"What?"

"You make me smile. You make me feel so many things that I've never even felt before." Then Raven smiled at Beast Boy. It wasn't her usual wry smile but a true smile, the one that Beast Boy had tried to get out of her from the day they had first met. Beast Boy hugged her back.

"What about your- but Raven cut him off by kissing him with more passion than Beast Boy had ever shared with Terra. In the garage the T-Car levitated and rattled, the windows started breaking. Raven stopped kissing Beast Boy and started laughing, a light joyful laugh that Beast Boy adored.

"I couldn't care less." The empath said. "As long as I'm with you that's all that matters." Raven then sat down and looked up at the stars.

"Don't you want to come to bed, angel?" The changeling asked. Raven blushed at the nickname.

"No, I'd rather stay out here with my jester and watch the stars."

Beast Boy sat down beside her. Raven laid her head on his shoulders and the changeling wrapped one of his arms around her waist and the other on one of the empath's pale shoulders. The couple looked up at the heavens, holding tight to each other. A princess and a wanderer had found one another under a sea of stars.