Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction based upon subject matter that is not my own. Pop culture references also do not reflect ownership by me.


"Beast Boy…Beast Boy…Beast Boy!" Ugh, what was that awful racket? Garfield sat up and knocked his head on the ceiling.

"OW!" Man! Ever since he'd had that growth spurt he tried to avoid falling asleep on his top bunk. But then, his bottom bunk was full of junk that he hadn't felt like cleaning up last night. The knocking and calling came again and grumbling Garfield made his way to his door. He was surprised when Robin was revealed behind whooshing door number one. "Dude, do you even know what time it is?" Since Garfield realized he didn't he glanced at his seldom used alarm clock. It was before seven, in the morning. Ugh, why did he have to be cursed with morning people teammates?

"Beast Boy, I know you probably don't want to talk to me, but I was hoping you would anyway." Something in Robin's tone told Garfield that it would be a mistake to keep complaining about the ungraciously early call.

He shrugged, "Come on in, dude." Garfield looked around his disheveled room. "I'd apologize for the mess, but I bet you were expecting it anyway." he shrugged again.

"Beast Boy, I wanted to apologize for yesterday." Garfield did a double take. Robin was apologizing? To him? Of all people? Did he wake up somewhere in the Twilight Zone?

"Um, okay?" he hedged.

Robin sighed, "I shouldn't have banned you from med bay. I was being overly cautious, as I'm want to do, and didn't take into consideration how you would feel about it. Since I didn't have time to sit and analyze the situation, I gave blanket orders and expected everybody to be okay with them. I based those orders on a misinterpretation of your past actions. You showed that you were in control yesterday and I should have given you the benefit of the doubt instead of overreacting, and I'm sorry. I don't want you to think that I don't trust you Beast Boy."

Garfield was stunned. Robin was apologizing, basically because he thought he hurt his feelings. Granted that was true, but he expected Robin of all people to just tell him to suck it up or grow up. But to apologize? Besides, it wasn't like he deserved one. "I appreciate the gesture Rob. Really, it means a lot to me that you'd come here and apologize. But, I don't deserve it."

Robin raised a brow and crossed his arms, "Why's that?"

"It's my fault Raven got hurt. Even if it was only indirectly I deserve to pay for that. If I hadn't have been so immature about the whole comic book thing she never would have been attacked!" Garfield started to pace, his voice steadily growing more frantic. "If I hadn't pulled the dummy prank, I wouldn't have had to run laps and could have gone to the store myself. No matter which way you look at it, it's my fault! You were right to ban me from the med bay! I shouldn't ever be allowed near her! She's always getting hurt because of me! I'm never there to stop it from happening! I can't believe you even trust me to be a part of this team!" Garfield had two handfuls of hair and was tugging on them furiously, angry tears welling in his eyes. He squatted down to the floor, hunching his shoulders so that his knees provided a sort of barrier around him, and rubbed the heels of his hands over his eyes and face. He would not cry in front of his leader. He'd learned the hard way what that would get him.

"Beast Boy." There was command in his voice. Garfield didn't want to respond to it but Robin was the leader of the team, the alpha of the pack. You don't disobey the alpha. Taking a couple of deep breathes to steady himself, Garfield wiped his eyes a final time and rose, turning to face Robin, his eyes averted, providing no challenge. "Beast Boy, I want you to know that despite your personal feelings on the matter, none of the rest of the team, including myself, holds you responsible for what happened. You couldn't have known Adonis would react that way. None of us even knew he was out, let alone that Cyborg's serum didn't work. It isn't your fault." Garfield said nothing. Robin sighed, "I hate it when Raven's right." he muttered.

"Raven?" he asked, perking up.

"She came to see me, just left actually. Gave me a royal ass chewing about being a jackass and how I need to make sure I'm treating my team with the respect each member deserves. I didn't mean to belittle your feelings about the matter Beast Boy. And now I think I really owe Raven an apology too." He sighed again.

"What'd you do to Rae?" he asked alarmed.

"Nothing like that! I just, didn't handle it very well. I was a little caught off guard. I've just never seen her so…emotional about anything, let alone her defense of another person."

"Emotional?" Garfield asked even more alarmed. "What do you mean emotional?"

"She was really upset about the whole thing; I think she might have even been trying not to cry." Robin admitted sheepishly. "Beast Boy?"

But Garfield was already tearing down the hallway towards Raven's room. After the day she'd had yesterday an emotional fight with Robin was the last thing she needed! Just before he reached her door he heard her cry out. Shit! Garfield nearly collided with the door as he beat against it, "Raven!" He didn't know what was going on in there but his animal senses were tingling all over that it was BAD. They were confirmed when a wave of dark energy pulsed out from her room sending a shock wave through the entire Tower. Garfield was launched across the hall to collide with the wall. Shaking it off he pulled himself to his feet and returned to pounding on the door. "Raven! Raven, open up!"

Raven wasn't answering. Garfield tried to open the door but it was locked and Robin and Cyborg were the only ones with the override codes. Rather than waste time getting one of them to open the door, he backed up a step or two and channeling all his worry and fear over what he was about to find, kicked the door with as much force as he could muster. It was enough. The door didn't go flying off its hinges but his path was no longer impeded. His heart dropped to his stomach. Raven's room was trashed. Furniture was overturned, her shelves were bare, and debris was everywhere. Lying in the very center of her room was Raven. She was face down and not moving. Garfield leapt over all the debris to land in the very small circle of clear floor around Raven. She was definitely the epicenter of the blast.

"Raven! Rae!" He knew his panic wasn't good for her but he couldn't help himself. He picked her up and turned her over. Her eyes were closed but she was breathing. "Raven, come on!" He shook her, her head lulled. "Raven!" he shook her again. Her eyelids flickered. "Rae?" Raven blinked and lifted unfocused eyes up at him. "Geeze Rae!" his sense of relief was staggering, "You've already stolen two of my lives via heart attack, you wanna give it a rest already?"

"What happened!?" a disheveled Robin barked from the doorway. He must have been knocked back further than across a hallway. Garfield turned, Raven still in his arms.

"I think Raven should go back to med bay."

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To say Cyborg was furious that Raven had checked herself out would be an understatement. He ranted all through his examination of her. He ranted between reading off parts of her diagnostics. He ranted throughout his prognosis that she was restricted to med bay until further notice. He ranted that if she tried it again she'd find herself tied to the bed. Throughout his rant Raven remained impassive. If it hadn't been for the fact that that's how she usually was Garfield would have been concerned. As it was, he was still unnerved; especially at her announcement.

"My powers are gone." Her monotone wasn't quite as dead as it usually was. Garfield could hear a distinct undertone of worry that she wasn't hiding very well.

"Say what?" Cyborg was interrupted, mid rant.

"What do you mean your powers are gone?" Robin demanded.

"I mean they're gone. I can't feel them anymore. I reach for them and there's nothing there." Now she wasn't even trying to hide it. "It's not like before, after that stupid movie. I still had my powers, I just couldn't use them. Now it's like they're not even there." Garfield could hear almost panic in her voice now.

"Let's not freak out." Robin told her gently. "That was a powerful blast you unleashed, you've probably just over exerted yourself. Once you've rested, I'm sure they'll come back."

"You don't understand! What am I supposed to do without my powers?" Okay, that was definitely panic.

"Worry not, friend Raven, we will discover the source of the problem and confront it. You will be the 'alright'."

"Um, on the bright side at least you won't make anything explode while you freak out about it." Wow, Cyborg was definitely taking his life into his own hands with that one. Even Garfield knew not to joke about a freaked out Raven.

"Are you kidding me with this?" she shrieked. Garfield instinctively ducked. "I'm sitting here contemplating the rest of my life without the powers that up until now defined me and allowed be to become a Titan, that gave me purpose; and you're cracking jokes about it?!" He'd never thought he'd hear Raven sound hysterical, and honestly it was really starting to freak him out that she was showing so much emotion.

"Okay, Rae, let's just calm down—" Garfield attempted to intervene.

"I will not calm down! It's not like it matters anyway, it's not like I'll blow anything up!" She sent Cyborb a scathing glare.

"He didn't mean anything by it, he—" Robin tried to defend their robotic friend.

"Then he wouldn't have said anything!" she seethed. Abruptly her whole demeanor changed, "Okay, now let's take a couple of deep breathes, and talk this out, hmm?" The Titans simply stared.

"What's there to talk about, she tried to get rid of us!"

"She was scared and it was a tactic that had always worked in the past."

"I don't care! I will not be shut up in her mind any longer! I deserve to be free, we all do!"

"Now, let's be reasonable—"

"No! It's easy for you to talk, she lets you out! Me? When does she ever feel me? She always has a level head! When do I ever get to stretch my legs? I say it's my turn!"

"Oh yeah? Who died and made you queen? I never get to be felt! It's like she doesn't even care what people think of her. Have you seen how she does her hair?"

"This is so exciting! BB! Do the kitty! It's so FLUFFY!" Raven looked to Garfield excitedly. He could almost feel a chill crawl up his spine at the huge smile and shining eyes directed at him.

"DO IT AN YOU WILL SUFFER UNTOLD HORRORS, FURBALL!" Garfield did feel a chill at that tone…and the four glowing red eyes.

"Well that wasn't very nice! Honestly, after all he's done for us—"

"For her, not us."

"Let's not split hairs now."

"Yeah, let's split heads!"

"Shove off!"

"This is all rather counterproductive."

"Oh Azar, they're staring at us like we're crazy!"

"So let them stare!"

"Can't say I blame them, hearing voices in your head and talking to yourself are the first signs of crazy." her tone returning to her usual dry humor.

"WOULD ALL OF YOU JUST SHUT THE HELL UP!" Raven finally shouted. "Dear Azar, it is impossible to get any peace with all of you!" She started rubbing her temples with her fingers. "And you wonder why I'd want to shut you away. It's the only way to get you to shut up!" Raven glanced up sharply at her teammates, "Okay, show's over. Nothing more to see here." she snapped.

"Um, Raven, are you okay?" Robin asked since the rest of them were too tongue-tied. At least Garfield was.

"My powers are gone, my emotions are running amok, and I have the mother of all migraines, what do you think Robin?" she hissed at him.

"Right. Titans, let's go. Raven ought to rest and our presence is only a distraction." Robin started ushering them all out the door but Garfield hung back.

"Rae?"

She sighed, "I'll be fine Beast Boy. I just need to…be alone." Garfield disagreed but didn't argue. He glanced back as he reached the door and his ears drooped at the sight of Raven's shoulders shaking, her face buried in her hands. Not knowing what else to do Garfield followed the others to the common room.

"Alright ya'll, what are we gonna do about Raven?"

"What can we do? What do any of us know about her or her powers?"

"I feel we must do the 'being there for her'. But our presence does not seem to bring our friend feelings of contentment."

"I don't see how there's anything we can do until she actually tells us. I still think that once her body has had a chance to recover her powers will come back."

"What if they don't?" Garfield asked. He couldn't help it; he looked up at Robin from his slumped position, "Are you going to let her stay a Titan?" Garfield was actually afraid of the answer. If Robin said no, Raven might not get to be a Titan anymore and that was practically her whole life. If Robin said yes, Raven wouldn't have any powers but she'd be expected to go up against super powered villains. Either way it seemed a losing situation.

Robin stared him down for what seemed a lifetime. Garfield wouldn't say he was very good a reading people but usually they gave their thoughts away with something his instincts could pick up on. Robin didn't twitch, his heartbeat didn't increase, he was his normal unreadable self and the suspense was killing Garfield. He wasn't sure what Robin was looking for but Robin's demeanor suddenly went from stoic to determined. "It won't come to that. Raven's powers will come back, even it if takes time." With that Robin left the common room. The rest of them just looked at each other before Cyborg left muttering about his car.

"I am worried about Raven." Starfire admitted quietly.

"Me too Star."

"What do you think should be done?" Garfield looked at her; he wasn't sure what to tell her. He wasn't used to being asked what to do. But he gave the matter thought anyway.

"You know what I think we should do?" She shook her head. "Raven's room was trashed when I found her. Do you think she'd mind if we went in her room and cleaned it up?"

Starfire beamed, "What a glorious idea! Friend Raven will be most pleased I am sure!"

"Wanna get started?"

"Let us begin!"

Starfire and Garfield collected brooms, vacuums, dust bins, garbage sacks, buckets, and any other cleaning equipment they came across before heading to Raven's room. It was almost worse than he remembered. But at least he knew Raven was safe in med bay at the moment and not lying unconscious in the middle of her floor. Garfield and Starfire conferred before starting in opposite corners and working their way to the center. They worked mainly in silence, but that was fine by him because it gave him his entire mind to think over what was happening to Raven.

Raven had been fine yesterday, nothing amiss until after her fight with Adonis. It had to be the blow to her head. Obvious in its initial damage sure, but what about other repercussions? How long would her powers be on the fritz? Was she even completely healed from the blow? Cyborg had been too preoccupied lecturing her to have gone over that properly. Even if her head was healed, it's obvious the emotional overload yesterday hadn't been good for her or her control. She had hugged him. Raven had hugged him. And then the apparently emotional 'talk' she had with Robin this morning which he still couldn't get more details out of Robin about, just what he'd said to Garfield after his apology. So Raven's emotions were unstable, her control shot, and now her powers were gone. This just had the makings of a great day.

"Friend Beast Boy, why do you not respond?" Garfield looked up interrupted from his musings by Starfire towering over him.

"Uh, sorry Star, what'd you need?"

"I was asking your opinion on what to do with this?" Garfield's jaw dropped. It was a giant stuffed chicken. The same giant stuffed chicken that he and Cyborg had worked so hard to win Raven at the fair during the Blackfire incident. He thought she'd tossed that aside, had she gone back for it later? "It is mostly in good repair, but slight damage has been done to the right appendage." Looking where Starfire indicated, Garfield saw a popped seam and stuffing coming out.

He debated a moment before deciding that they should only throw those things away that couldn't be repaired in the slightest. "Let's make a pile, on her bed," he decided, "of things that need fixed. We can tackle that job later." Starfire beamed at him before setting the chicken tenderly upon Raven's bed before heading back to her side of the room. For the most part the rest of the cleaning project went well, the only excitement being Garfield snatching a scary mirror from Starfire and quickly tucking it into one of Raven's drawers without looking directly at it.

After Starfire and Garfield had Raven's room in working condition they headed to the common room for lunch. Robin and Cyborg were there so he decided to ask for an update on Raven's condition.

"I was actually planning to check on her after lunch. Any idea what she might like?"

"You mean that she might actually eat? You'll be lucky to get her to drink her herbal tea man." Garfield answered as he scrounged around the cupboards for anything edible since none of them had a chance to go shopping after Raven's Adonis encounter.

"Hmm. Which of these does she normally drink?" Cyborg asked holding a couple different kinds.

"Nah, neither of those." Garfield put the tea back on the bottom shelf that Raven could easily reach and searched the shelf above it. "See this?" he asked holding a different box of tea. "This is the good, expensive stuff she drinks when she's had a particularly bad day. I'd say this qualifies." Since Cyborg made no move to take it from him Garfield rolled his eyes before putting the kettle on, "Why don't I just go ahead and make it?"

"Good idea." Cyborg smirked at him, "I'd probably make it wrong anyway."

"True, you probably don't have the slightest idea how she likes her tea."

Cyborg cocked a brow, "How do you?"

"Dude, it's practically the only thing she drinks! If it isn't tea or water…" he shrugged. "I figured knowing how to make tea she likes would help me get out of trouble should the occasion call for it."

"That's actually pretty smart." Cyborg told him, sounding insultingly surprised.

"I do occasionally utilize the organ between my ears Cy."

"Not very often, so it can be quite the surprise."

"Har har." he grumbled good naturedly as he made Raven's tea and nuked something plausibly edible for himself in the microwave. Once he'd wolfed down his lunch he prepared Raven's cinnamon spiced tea with half and half, only a very rare indulgence, and followed Cyborg to the infirmary. They found Raven sitting in a chair in front of the large bay windows looking out over the sea. "Hey Rae, thought you might like some tea." Raven didn't respond for several long moments before turning to him with a slightly vacant look. "Uh, Rae?"

She looked down at her favorite mug resting snuggly between Garfield's grey gloves. "Um, thank you." Once he'd passed it to her she cupped it between her hands, inhaled the soothing aroma and took a sip. Her eyes widened in surprise and her gaze darted up to him. "It's exactly how I make it. How did you…?"

Garfield grinned, "I'm more observant than most people give me credit for."

She frowned, "Cyborg, do you know what brand my tea is?"

He looked up confused, "No. I didn't even know there were different kinds. Beast Boy made it for you."

She looked up at Garfield, "You not only knew how to make it correctly, you knew where I keep the good stuff. That's not observant, that's thoughtful."

"Uh…" Garfield didn't really know how to respond to that so he just rubbed the back of his head and directed his gaze out the window feeling self-conscious.

"Thank you." Raven whispered quietly to him.

"You're welcome." he murmured back.

"Okay ya'll, here's what my scanners are saying. Physically speaking Raven's pretty much all healed up. Your powers took care of that." he assured her. "I can't find anything medically wrong with you which is why I'm putting my vote down for the 'your powers will come back when you've rested' option."

"And if they don't?" she asked quietly, looking out the window.

"Is there any reason you can think of that they wouldn't?" She thought for several moments before shaking her head. "Then neither can I. You'll be fine Raven." Cyborg fiddled with his clipboard and clicked his pen several times.

"Cy, is there something else?" Garfield asked since Raven seemed disinclined to.

"Um, it isn't anything really. Just something Robin mentioned that probably is not necessary or anything." he hedged, still not looking at Raven.

"Which is?" Garfield prompted.

"Um, he might have mentioned that this would be a great time for Raven to practice her hand to hand. He said we never know when something like this might strike and it would be really good for Raven to have something to fall back on should she have need." Garfield read into what Cyborg wasn't saying. Robin was making contingency plans just in case Raven's powers didn't come back. After all, Robin didn't have any superpowers and he was still a Titan. Garfield couldn't read from Raven's expression whether she'd gotten the same unsaid information as he had.

Raven turned to look back out the window, "That is acceptable, I assume, once you've given me the all clear."

"Oh, yeah, dang straight you're here until I give you the all clear!" Cyborg checked his clipboard, "Which isn't for another couple of days." Cyborg smiled widely before heading out, leaving Raven and Garfield behind.

Neither Titan said anything for a long while. Garfield expected that from Raven but he felt like he should say something. But what could he say? He couldn't reassure her that her powers would return because he really didn't know. Did he want to bring up her room? What they talked about last night? Everything seemed too delicate a subject.

"Yes Beast Boy?"

"Huh? I didn't say anything."

"But you want to. You have a mild case of anxiety."

Garfield's eyes widened, "So your powers are already starting to come back?"

She shook her head, "The empathy never went away. I can sense your feelings now, just as I could when you were on the other side of my bedroom door pounding on it demanding to be let in."

Garfield flushed, "About your room…it was sort of trashed."

Raven heaved a sigh, "I'll have plenty of free time to clean it I guess, not being able to go on alerts until my powers come back."

"Oh, uh, I didn't think about that…Starfire and I sort of already started cleaning it." Raven looked up at him wide eyed. "Yeah, I know you have the 'nobody in your room' rule but I thought you'd make an exception for us, just this once."

"You…you guys cleaned my room?"

"Well, Starfire was worried and wanted to help in some way. I figured this would keep her too preoccupied to worry or uh…bother you," he blushed, rubbing his head again, "and it would still be doing something to help you too."

Raven looked up at him appraisingly, he felt like she was trying to read his mind…or his soul which was kind of a weird feeling. "You've been very considerate to me the last couple of days."

Garfield gave a self depreciating laugh, "Yeah, doesn't happen often, I know."

Raven lifted a brow, "That's not what I said." she commented, startling him. "I've always thought you a considerate person, with keen observation skills." Garfield couldn't be sure but he could have sworn a small smile was on Raven's lips as she sipped her tea. Had she just made a joke? Raven?

"Why so incredulous? I can make non-sarcastic statements every now and again." Garfield grinned, she had made a joke. A light bloom of color spread across her cheeks. His eyes widened as did his grin. Raven was blushing! Raven made a sound akin to a growl and muttered something. At his prompting she repeated herself louder, "I was telling one of my more annoying emotions to shut up."

"Do you often talk to them?" he asked curious.

Raven glanced up at his face, probably to see if he was laughing at her—like he didn't know better—before explaining, "Usually only when I'm in Nevermore and have specific questions to ask. It's a little…surreal talking to them like I have the past day or so. More so when they talk back through me. But, they do have a tendency to make themselves known at other times. They'll argue with me over stuff sometimes."

"Like what?" he asked, curious.

"Like yesterday, when you asked me to pick up your book. Most of them were in agreement."

"On whether you should pick it up for me?" Raven blushed much darker. Garfield could only speculate on its cause, "Or…was it more along the lines they all agreed I was…fluffy?" Raven spat a mouthful of tea at the window, coughing slightly. Garfield crowed, "Your emotions think I'm cute!" As that thought sunk in a new one occurred to him, "Wait, if your emotions think I'm cute, doesn't that mean you—" He caught sight of the death glare she was sending him and promptly snapped his teeth together, grinning nervously and scratching the back of his head.

Garfield looked around for something safe to change the subject to, his eyes landing on Cyborg's discarded clipboard. "So, you think this hand to hand, no powers training, is a good idea?"

"Considering this isn't the first time my powers have gone on the fritz, actually yeah, I do." she answered calmly.

"Huh, I guess I never really thought about it before." Garfield pulled up a chair next to Raven's, straddling it backwards, his arms resting on the back. "I've never thought about what

it'd be like if I couldn't morph." He looked down at his hands before removing one of his gloves. His green skinned hand with his claw-like nails was revealed at the end of his black long sleeves. He smirked wryly, "Especially if I was still green."

"At least you'd still have the ears." Raven's eyes widened and her hand snapped to her mouth as if trying to shove the words back in.

Garfield smirked, chuckling a little, "I knew it; chicks dig the ears."

Raven's face was beet red, "That was entirely inappropriate Sass!"

"One of your emotions?" he asked casually, trying to convey that none of this fazed him in the slightest. He didn't want her thinking that he thought her weird or something…especially creepy. He'd never really stop feeling bad about calling her creepy; no matter how true, it had hurt her feelings.

"Yeah, the one that most often comes up with my one-liners. She's particularly fond of sarcasm and she loves when you set her up for zingers." Raven explained with a scowl.

"So my favorite waffle line?"

"Oh yes, 'Evil beware, we have waffles' was a particular gem of hers." Raven frowned, "She doesn't always appreciate my…delivery of her lines."

"What do you mean?"

Raven looked at him before turning to the window, "You know most of my 'zingers' are directed at you…my delivery isn't always in the 'playful' tone that Sass uses. She gets upset when I…when I use them to put you down." she admitted quietly, looking down.

"Aw, I don't mind Rae."

She wouldn't look at him, "You can't lie to me Beast Boy, I can sense when what I say hurts your feelings." Oh crap, that's right. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry. And I never mean it." Her voice was soft, sad.

"I know you don't ever mean it, Rae." he tried to assure her. That much was true at least.

"Doesn't take the sting away." she deadpanned.

"Eh, a little." he told her, waving his hand back and forth a little in front of himself. She didn't smile but her frown went mostly away. "I knew you had a sense of humor. Just like I knew you think I'm funny." he told her smugly. This time a small smile did make its way to her lips. Garfield felt his grin widen. Raven looked so…good with a smile on her face. He was almost unreasonably pleased with himself that it was there because of him. Her cheeks darkened and she glanced at him. Oh, right. She could sense his emotions. Why did he seem to keep forgetting that?

"Thank you for doing this Garfield."

"Doing what?" he asked confused.

"Distracting me, trying to make me feel better, trying to make me laugh."

He grinned, "That's what I'm here for; it's my purpose."

"Not that I deserve it." she sighed.

"More than most you do, I promise Rae." She looked up at him surprised. "I mean it." She didn't say anything to that. "This is good." he stated suddenly. She lifted a questioning brow. "Practice I mean. Look at us being open with each other, joking, and you've not lost your temper even once." he pointed out. Raven didn't look convinced. "You know, I just thought of something. Wouldn't it be easier for you to practice with your emotions without your powers? That way you can feel without them interfering."

Raven seemed to be thinking it over when her face suddenly flushed red and her hands flew up to her mouth. Garfield suspected that was to stop whatever her emotion was trying to force out. "What?" he asked beyond curious. He didn't normally use his heightened senses in regular day life because they tended to be distracting. That didn't mean that they were completely blocked though and right now he was picking up on the strangest…vibes coming from Raven. Scents too. She smelled…really good. He could feel his ears perk at her. He tried to ignore his instinctual response towards her; way to make things real awkward, real fast Gar. "Come on Rae, who was it and what'd she say?"

"Sass," came her clipped answer, "and it was something completely inappropriate."

"Something to do with my ears?" he prompted with a smirk.

Raven's face warped into a sly grin and she was about to say something when her expression turned outraged and her hands flew back to her mouth. Garfield felt something like a chilled thrill of excitement shoot down his spine at that grin that didn't dissipate with her outrage. "Dear Azar she'd never been this, this forward before!"

"Come on Rae, you're killing me! What's she saying?" he whined, the curiosity eating at him.

"Oh no, I'm not repeating any of it. It's…crude and embarrassing." Her scowl deepened, "And completely inappropriate!" she snapped. Garfield got the distinct feeling she wasn't snapping at him. Sass was probably having a field day. Hmm, Sass saying embarrassing and crude things…his ears…Garfield's grin widened at his suspicion. She was probably spouting off something like come-ons and innuendos. He could work with that. Those weren't really his style, he preferred cheesy pick up lines, but this was almost too good to pass up! Looking at Raven's discomfort however Garfield made the executive decision that she wasn't nearly comfortable enough to joke on that level…yet. It was only a matter of time now. He could wait. Until then he should probably help Raven with her problem.

"You know, we could probably use this to your advantage." he mused.

"And just how is crude humor to my advantage?"

"No, no, I meant the whole having direct access to your emotions. They were complaining that you never let them be expressed and your reasoning was because expression of emotion was dangerous because of your powers. Well, your powers are out of commission for the time being so," he prompted her, "there's nothing holding you back."

Raven debated his point, looking unsure, "I don't know. I don't really feel comfortable with the whole situation."

Garfield grinned and rolled his eyes, "That's the whole point Rae, you don't feel comfortable showing or even feeling emotions. This seems like a safe and fool proof way to practice."

"Garfield, I mean this in the best possible way, but 'fool proof' should never be used to describe one of your ideas."

He grinned, "Aw, come on Rae, how bad could it be?"


AN: I just wanted to thank everybody who has taken the time to leave me a review so far. They always make me feel warm and fuzzy inside! I appreciate any and all feedback, especially as this is my first story so I don't really have all that much experience thus far. SO, if you like what you're reading, let me know. If you don't, let me know. Just, in general, you should leave me with your thoughts and feelings. Share the warm fuzzies! I'll try to update again soon!