INSPECTOR: Hey y'all, long time no write, but this is something special for everyone. And hopefully there's something you can gleam from it...now on to the story.

Today was like any average day at Jump City Kindergarten. The temperature was far beyond a hundred degrees, poor little birdies were striving to get air conditioning installed in their nests and a certain little girl sat alone without her lovable grass stain anywhere in sight...WHAT?!

Raven looked around her, the tall and imposing bookcases feeling more like a timeout corner than the friends she had once thought them to be, although she wasn't all that surprised really. Because right now, there was an owie in her heart that wouldn't go away for all the Hello Kitty bandaids or kisses in the world. Because right now, it felt like the gooey chocolate chip cookie which was her heart had a bite taken out of it. And the biter refused to give it back. Quietly, so as no one would know, the pint sized sorceress curled up in her world of pretty pictures and too big words and wished the cookie eater would just come back. So she could see his cute, and shy gap toothed smile again.

Now dear reader, if you are as confused as I am from a particular changling boy's absence, since he is constantly by his Rawen's side like peanut butter is to jelly, never fear. We'll simply have to hit the rewind button.

Flashback

Raven, up to this point, was not having a good day. And what is it, you ask that could possibly cause the normally cool ball of moonlight into an irritable and common toddler. Well to begin, her mommy had forgotten to wake her up this morning, an insurmountable task in and of it self. Much like a veterinarian trying to brush the teeth of a crocodile. With the proper amount of fear and caution and just a smidgen of heroic stupidity. So Raven did not have the proper time to wash or even find the pretty purple dinosaur shirt she was going to wear (the one she saw and instantly thought Beast Boy would like...though she'd deny it if you ever asked)

Normally this would only be a blip on her Day-O-Meter, the system by which she judged her Day. (And whenever BB was there it was instantly a 10 ,no matter what.) But then she learned that Missy, the rather pernicious Scottish Fold her mommy was watching for the neighbor has decided Raven's backpack was her new litter box. A backpack Raven had saved her allowance to buy, because it had Zero on it. Which reminded her of Halloween...

Late and backpackless, the little girl was toted off to school, only then remembering the bowl of Coco Puffs waiting for her on the table. A bowl that vileand despicable cat no doubt was eating this very minute. When Raven got home, no one would miss Missy the Cat...mwahahahahahahaha.

Finally getting into the classroom, the toddler was instantly bombarded by the lovable ball of sunshine that was her grass stain. "Hi Rae! How was yow weekend? Twa's good? Ma mommy and me went ta the Shhesum. It had lots a cool dino'saws, but they kept on shhing me. Hey da think-"

Tired, hungry, angry at the stupid cat and her mommy and Monday mornings, and lost clothes that ran away with left socks and vacation taking neighbors, and why was it so hot, the kindergartner snapped.

"Why can't you just be quiet. You're so loud! Blah blah blah, all the time! And you never say anything. Jst all these sounds you put ta gether.. why can't you just shud up?! All you ever do is t'ink about yer self. I need you to be quiet. And my name is Raven! Not Rae, or Rawen. It's Raven!"

Running out of breath, her anger but even close to being sent she looked up only to see Beast Boy's wet smile and broken eyes. His body trembling. She had did that, she had made him like that...she had made him cry.

"BB...I...I didn't..." But before she could finish, he turned around and ran away. "I'm sorry..."

END FLASHBACK

And we come back to where we started, with Raven curled in her self imposed timeout.

Zeek was looking for his behemoth of a best friend to apologize for the fight they had earlier when he saw his student sitting dejectedly by herself. Chocolate brown eyes filled with concern as the high school helper walked over. "Raven?"

Without a word, the girl threw herself into her high school helper's surprised arms. And cried.

Parker was just getting ready to find his best friend when he heard sniffling. Turning he looked around, and discovered that the sound was coming from beneath a desk. So crouching down, Parker discovered the sniffling was coming from Beast Boy. "Raben...no...Rayen...Rawen...sniff...Rafen...sniff...Rae..."

"Buddy, watcha doing?"

The sniffling toddler looked up, only to look down again. "Need ta...sniff...learn how ta say...Rae's name...right...so that she...sniff...likes me again."

"BB, of course she likes you." The giant, lavender haired teen tried to comfort the boy.

"But she...sniff...y-yelled a-at me. And she...s-she..."

With a sigh, the giant picked up the little boy and headed off to give a certain little raven to make it all right again.

After hearing what Raven had said, but more importantly what had caused it, Zeek couldn't help but empathise. "But...I said sorry..." Raven whimpered.

Now the cinnamon haired teen signed, because now he had to explain something very important, "Sweetie, sorry can't fix everything. It's just a word. A very good word, but still just a word. By itself it has no meaning. It's like a blankie in this kind of heat. But when you apologise, it's like a hug, it wraps you up and makes you feel all better. Right?"

Raven frowned as she thought it over. It made sense...in a way. Sorry didn't take back what she said, only that she felt bad for saying it. As she thought it over more, she saw Parker with...Beast Boy, who was crying.

Jumping out of Zeek's lap, the girl ran to Parker, who was only just setting BB down. As soon as the boy's velcroed little feet touched the grind he was enveloped in a fierce hug. "Rae...I mean-" but he was cut off with a shake of the head.

"Didn't mean it...like it when you call me Rae...I didn't mean any of it."

Because sorry didn't make everything better, only that you felt bad about what happened. Sorry was only a word, and without action, without remorse it had no meaning. It was like a blankie in a hundred degree weather. But an apology...was like a hug. Unpretentious, and safe it held you close and comforted you until everything was right once again.