Contrition, a teen titans fanfic

A/N: Ok, I don't normally put this at the top but I need to answer some Q's before they're asked. This is a sequel/end to my other stories 'Control' and 'Concern'. So anyone who who thinks this could spoil those stories (how I can spoil 'em more is beyond me) shouldn't read it, but I don't think it really reveals much. Also anyone not reading those; this can be seen from the series straight off since only reference to those stories could be seen as from the ep 'Beast Within' but the date and also half the reason these events happen are in those stories. It's up to you if you still wanna read.
Next point: Ibn (or Ibn al Xu'ffasch) is the son of Batman and Talia al Ghul from the official story 'Son of the Demon'. Nightstar is the daughter of Nightwing and Starfire in a prediction of the future in a Teen Titans storyline. In the story 'Kingdom: Son of Batman' they are portrayed as lovers (or at the very least romantic partners).
As for the names of the OC children: Tsuki (32) is a word meaning luck and moon in different contexts in Japanese (as far as I know) it's meant to have been chosen by Rae and BB to represent her pale skin tone and the luck of the fact she could be conceived at all. Mark (22) is named after BB's dad Mark Logan. Similarly Arella (15) is named after Raven's mother.

So here it is I hope it's acceptable (especially for how long I claimed to be writing this)

Contrition (from the Latin contritus 'ground to pieces, i.e. crushed by guilt) is sincere and complete remorse (i.e. regret with a sense of guilt) for sins one has committed. The remorseful person is said to be contrite. (Definition from Wiki.)

Contrition

"I'm sorry," the man wheezed as he felt his final strength leaving him. His eyes were tearful and full of remorse as he looked over to his wife who was lying next to him, her naked body in complete contact with his own. Her hands moved up his body from his chest, moving out from under the silk covers of the king sized bed, and each gently cupped one of the tear stained cheeks. She lifted her from its natural resting place in the crook of her husband's neck and looked directly into his eyes with only love for the green man.

"Do not apologise," she replied softly, "you have no reason to apologise to me. I can only thank you, Garfield." Internally the Raven's mind was in chaos as she looked on as her love died in her arms, helpless to protect him unlike so many times before. This foe was not one the hybrid of human and demon memes had anyway to fight. She had tried, never stopped trying, even now she was using her magic to attempt some kind of change in her husband's fate.

The green man wasn't convinced, she knew he would never be but her words were true no matter what reality threw at them. "Yes, I do," he whined, "I've broken my promise to you, Raven. I promised to give you everything you wanted and I've failed to give you that."

"How?" the empath asked sternly. "Do you know what I want?" The changeling knew she was not saying she wanted him dead but couldn't help feeling hurt and tears began to fall again from his. Raven saw the tears, but was not regretful of her words. The wife moved closer and kissed away each droplet until all that remained were those threatening to leave his eyes and then kissed each eye to comfort him further. "What I want, and what I have always wanted since the night you tried to kill me, is you. Only you. You have given me so much more than that."

"You know how 'creepy' that sounds?" Garfield chuckled in response; his bride's reaction was one only he could evoke. She laughed lightly the precious sound rang in his ears and made his new found grin even wider, but it didn't end his sorrow. "I can't give you what you want anymore, that's how."

"I told you; you have given me so much more," the beauty whispered into his ear. "Love, joy, contentment, pleasure, even children and most importantly time. All are of these things I believed I would never possess." Droplets began to leak from her own eyes as she stared into the green emeralds inches in front of her, she moved her hands behind his head and pulled his face to rest on her bare chest. "You have no right to apologize for bringing me such happiness."

"That's not wha-" he tried to explain.

"YES, IT IS!" Raven screamed in despair, provoking a gasp from the dying man. "I knew our time was limited, it didn't matter then and it doesn't now! I spent it as yours and you as mine! You want to apologize for the end and aftermath!? Then you apologize for everything that our relationship is!" Her husband was stunned to silence as she poured out her heart to him; she had only ever shared such feelings with him. Garfield wanted to comfort her, to reassure her that he could make everything alright but he was the reason she was hurt so. He hated himself for bringing her such pain, but also for not foreseeing her view that if he regretted any moment that he was with her then he forsook all of them. His cries intensified and he wrapped his own arms her and held her even tighter than she did him.

"The love and happiness you have made me feel every moment since our first kiss. The pleasure you have given me every night we are together, even last night," she said as his claws traced over fresh and old wounds from the certain rough nights they had together. "The joy I feel when I see Tsuki's grin whenever she beats Victor at one of your Monkey games. Also the smile I felt when Mark used to blush when he saw Nightstar and fumed when he found out she was with Ibn. Not to forget the laugh I suppress at Arella's fake innocence after making a prank at the expense of her uncles. You are not permitted to say sorry for such memories."

The father laughed against the mother's perfect skin, "Well maybe for Mark being unable to give up on his crush for his babysitter." The suggestion provoked another laugh from the empath as she felt a heat rise in her cheeks at the thought of what her husband meant their son might have inherited from him. Even now her love reduced her to the level of a horny schoolgirl.

"He gave it up years ago so no need to tease him over it anymore, okay?" Raven said with a weak but genuine smile, her lover nodded gently against her chest as he accepted the notion. "It's not just the memories of the children or the others that you are responsible for. You have given me a life to live, even more so than the rest of our family." Garfield lost his breath at the words; the idea that he had been so important to his wife was hard to comprehend if she was willing to say such a thing. Now he knew he had been just as important to her as she had been to him and he'd believed that to be impossible.

It was true, however, the bride of 37 years knew that it was and desired that he accept it. Garfield had saved her so many times from death, despair and insanity, and it had been him alone more than once. Raven only prayed to Azar that what she had sensed in his emotions was real; that he held her in similar regard and that he truly returned her love. 'That is all we will ever want.'

"Just let me say sorry for one thing Rae," Garfield said interrupting Nevermore's cry, "I'm sorry it didn't last forever like we both wanted." His breathing had become a task and this was his one regret that he chose to try to repent for in this moment, it was the one thing he wished above all others to make right.

"You are forgiven." Raven said as her husband closed his eyes, accepting those were the words that needed to be said for his sake. "You gave me more time here than I would have ever dared ask you for," she continued, the tears still flowing from her eyes. "It will last forever. I promised the same as you did that day 'Till after death do we remain together'. Garfield, you can never leave me because I won't let something as meaningless to me as death take you away from me."

The widow looked for one final moment at face that she treasured; no more tears escaped the concealed gems and the cheeky grin now permanently in place. "As it should be," she whispered looking at the clock, which displayed the date alongside the time, on the bedside cabinet.

11:59 a.m. 1st April 2049.

The room had been sealed from the world since before their conversation began by the witch's black aura. Nevermore had become silent since its cry but now it erupted in one single outburst. To the ears it would appear as a scream of pain beyond comprehension, to the eyes outside the room it seemed like an explosion of darkness ripping away the walls as if they were liquid. Only the key structural pillars remained to keep what was left of the ceiling in place. Since this was the top floor of the T-shaped tower the bright glare of the sun poured down into the room. The floor was left unscathed as it was needed to preserve what lay on the bed upon it.

Raven could feel the shocked stares of her family upon her through the air that had once been occupied by the destroyed wall. Her state of undress and position next to her now passed love did not affect her in the slightest. As her other loved ones either looked on or turned their heads away in sadness only one chose to rise from their seat and make their way to the mourning raven.

A fifteen year old girl with pale skin, violet hair reaching to midway down her back, her height only a few inches above her mother's. The only physical trait anyone associated with her father was that her left eye was a deep green but her right returned to her mother's side as it was amethyst. She walked slowly over to the bed where her parents were lying and reached out to clutch her mother's shoulder. She knew she would receive no response from her father and although she was already holding back her own tears her mother's health was her current worry. "Mom?" the commonly rebellious teenager asked timidly, afraid she had lost the two most important people in her life.

Her mother remained silent for minutes, but the minor remained undeterred in her efforts as she shook the bare shoulder lightly. "April fools, Arella," was the eventual reply, "I'm alive, your father would never forgive himself if I left for him before you are ready to be on your own." The sound of her parent's voice flooded the young girl with relief but the exhausted and tragic words prevented her from feeling any better.

"Mom," Arella pleaded, knowing full well what her mother meant.

"I am sorry, Arella, but when you have come of age I will have no reason to stay." Raven confessed in monotone as she rose from the bed and collected her clothes through her aura and phased into them via the same method. She took one final look at her love to see a now permanent smile; it was not truly content but it was clear he was at peace. Raven made an extra push for Knowledge to record that smile as it would be her inspiration for everyday until she saw him again.

She looked over to the onlookers outside the nearly completely destroyed boundaries of the room, knowing that her older children would be as displeased by her words as her youngest. Not to mention how her adopted siblings would feel but at least they would understand her choice more than her offspring. Raven walked back to her youngest daughter and drew Arella into a hug. She moved her hand through the violet hair as the girl began to sob. "Again I am sorry, but you cannot change what I regret."

"Mom?" all three of her children asked in sorrow filled confusion. Raven looked to her two fully grown children. Tsuki her first child and eldest daughter was currently expecting her second child and Raven's third grandchild. Also, Mark her son who was getting married to the mother of his baby son within the year and reminded her so much of Garfield for his personality. Both their faces mimicked their voices. She was not surprised that her children did not comprehend her words. Nor was she surprised by her siblings continued silence as they at least they understood what Garfield meant to her.

Before answering her children Raven looked into each of siblings' eyes and relayed her gratitude for their understanding in her eyes. 'Thank you, Starfire, Richard and especially Victor. I understand how painful Garfield's death is to all of you more than you might think and I know my words make it even worse. I can only hope you can still see me as your sister.' She whispered these thoughts quietly in her mind knowing that she needn't say them aloud and her siblings all nodded almost in time to her thought.

"I am regretful…" as she began to answer as her eyes re focused on the teenager in her arms. However, the words did not seem nearly meaningful enough. Thus she allowed Wisdom's voice to speak through her in the hope her emotion could come closer to the level that was true. The words flowed from her mouth smoothly as she continued to stroke her youngest's hair.

"He was everything to us and without him we can not hope to survive, even with the gifts he has given us to remember him by. We only remain to ensure that those same gifts that he, too, treasured greatly are given the proper preparation to survive the future. Our reasons are that the world can not and will not be allowed to ever forget him and to fulfil the hope that he will be able to smile when we meet him again. However, this can not change the truth. We are contrite to have not journeyed the river that is death with him. For now we must wait to see him smile again."

Those words were closer, but only closer.

A/N: Okay? I know sad subject and all but I hope it was worth reading. Thank you's go to Rabula Tasa for making me aware of the word Contrition's existence and to Burakku's Shadow for reading the raw draft and thinking it acceptable. I have changed it a little but that's 'cos I wanted to. So that was supposed to be the final ending for my other 'Con' stories before I've even finished them, I hope it gives a little incentive to reading those as they continue. The time and day are from what I know of April fools which is that the pranks, tricks & jokes stop at noon so I'm just trying to refer to the jokester side of BB. Feel free to point out plot holes (the year is not a plothole), ask Q's, or criticise. Please R&R/F.