Disclaimer: I own none of these characters! They are mere figments of another creator's imagination; characters in which I use as my muse.
Note: Please excuse any spelling or grammatical errors…

Saving Me From Myself
CHAPTER ONE: A Dream Within a Nightmare

(Prologue)
Years had passed since the victory at Tokyo and the Titans have grown much since then; some more than others. They still form an unstoppable team who battle evil doers in the name of justice. Residing at Titan's Tower, the group is ready and willing whenever they are needed. They are now 18 plus, and more fierce than ever. But, emotions and drama has also grown within the team; making their battle not only with villains, but with their inner demons as well. Two Titans in particular now struggle with fear, turmoil, doubt, and love.

(RAVEN)
I ran through the woods, trying to escape as a horrible, terrifying, and familiar laugh stalked me. The branches of the trees appeared as arms stretching out to take hold of me, wrapping their thorn covered fingers around my wrists, waist and neck. I felt the blood trickle down my skin as the limbs of the ghostly trees grabbed hold tighter and tighter. Suddenly, a monstrous voice bellowed deep within the dark wood.

"Is that any way to treat your father?"

"You are not my father!" A cried out, knowingly lying to myself.

Trygon's blazing red eyes glowed in the dark as he came closer. Every time I struggled to get free, the trees would only grip tighter, plunging their thorns painfully into my flesh.

"You cannot run from me little one. You think you have rid me from existence? You are the vessel of evil! I will come back into this world! You're friends will all die because of you."

Trygon raised his devil like claw above the air, ready to strike the final blow. As I braced myself for the pain, I cried out in horror. "No! You're wrong! No! NOOO!"

I awoke to someone shaking me into reality. My breathing was sporadic and heavy, my body covered in sweat. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness I began to realize where I was. I was in the hallway of the Titan's Tower, two floors below where my room was. I saw a figure beside me, holding me. I realized it was Beast Boy.

"Raven, are you ok? You were sleepwalking… and screaming…"

I fell to my knees shivering, Beast Boy kneeling down beside me and still holding me in his arms.

"He was back… he's coming back… he's coming to get me… death is coming back…"

"Shhhh shhhh, it's ok," he pulled me closer, stroking my hair as he spoke reassuring words. "It was just a dream. I'm here… I won't let anyone hurt you, I promise. Shhh…"

Compared to only a few years earlier, his voice was so deep. So deep and soothing. He had changed so much in such a short time. His voice got deeper, he was now taller… much taller… much taller than Robin and almost taller than Cyborg, and he had matured. True, he was still the jokester, loving to make people laugh and having to light up the mood at any time, but… unlike before… he could stop his antics at any time and be a real man. Say exactly the right things. I may have felt something for him years ago, back when he was still that annoying, attention craving kid, but now… now there was no other place I'd rather be than in his arms. This moment seemed too much like a dream to be real… it was a dream within a nightmare.

(BEAST BOY)
She shivered in my arms as I stroked her long, beautiful purple hair. I couldn't help but remember the old days as I tried to comfort her, back when her hair was short and I thought she absolutely hated me. Even though we were close back then, we were so much closer now. She even laughed at my jokes occasionally. We were becoming so close, in fact, that I knew what had scared her so much in her nightmare. Trygon has often plagued her dreams with nights filled with pure terror. None of the other Titans knew except me.

I picked her up and carried her back to her room, cradling her like a child. She was in that state where she was half asleep, half awake; a time where she was most vulnerable. The first night she had a dream about her father she practically blew a hole in my wall, that's the night she confided in me about her constant night terrors… that's the night I told her I would protect her no matter what.

Somewhere along the way to her room her whimpers subsided and she fell back asleep. I couldn't help but smile at the sight of her in my arms. She looked so serene, peaceful even. Once I got to her room I closed the door behind me and gently laid her on her bed, wiping hair from her face and pulling the covers over her radiant body. I didn't want to leave her knowing she could begin dreaming about her father again, so I walked over to her desk on the other side of the room and sat in her mid evil, gothic looking chair. I watched her a moment before my eyes started to drift shut and I fell asleep.

(RAVEN)
I could feel the sun on my face as I woke to the early morning. The sky peaked through my window, filling my dark and dismal room with a feeling of renewal. I could remember my nightmare in grim detail, sending a quiver down my spine. But then I remembered the dream, and it brought a smile to my face. Just then I realized that I wasn't alone. On the other side of my room sat Beast Boy in my desk chair. One knee was brought up to his chest while the other leg hung down, his head rested on his hand, and you could hear his steady breath breathing in and out as he slept. It came to my attention that the dream last night was not a dream at all. He had helped me when I needed him. I couldn't help but stare. He looked so calm as he slept. So calm… so adorable… so…

"Titans!" Came Robin's voice from the speakers in my room, waking Beast Boy. "A burglary is taking place downtown by an unknown assailant. He is armed and holding hostages."

The first chapter in my first fan fic… tell me what you think! :)