A/N: I Do Not Own Teen Titans in any way, shape, or form.

Chapter 7

Hours later the paralysis wore off and Raven could move once more. She quickly made her way into the bathroom to take a bath. She quickly drew the water and got in. For a while she simply sat their, hugging her knees to her chest. The events of the past few hours raced through her mind and she did her best not to cry again. She had never been a crier and now suddenly she couldn't seem to stop herself.

'I can still feel his hands,' she thought to herself. 'I can still feel them touching me. Thank God he didn't get to do what he'd intended on doing. If Beast Boy hadn't shown up he would have… he would have raped me.' She buried her face into her knees and bit her lip so she wouldn't cry.

'Well, if I even had a chance with Beast Boy before I certainly don't now,' she thought, fighting back even more tears. 'Not after he saw me the way I was; all helpless and naked on a cell floor. Not after being touched by Slade. He might as well have raped me; I don't think I could feel any dirtier than I already feel.'

There was a knock on the bathroom door followed by, "Raven, are you alright?" It was Starfire. Raven took in a big breath and calmed herself.

"Yes, I'm fine," she answered.

"Will you be finished soon?" asked Starfire.

"Why? Do you have to go to the bathroom?" asked Raven.

"No, it is just that… Beast Boy is leaving soon and I thought you would want to say goodbye," said Starfire sadly.

"H-He's leaving?" asked Raven, shocked. "Why? What happened?"

"I do not know," said Starfire through the door. "He has quit the team and is now doing the packing."

For a moment, Raven sat silently, a million thoughts rushing through her already tired mind. Too much was happening at once. Her whole world was crumbling around her and she felt completely powerless to stop any of it.

"Raven?" called Starfire.

"I'm getting out right now," said Raven, shakily standing up.

Beast Boy couldn't believe how big his room really was, what with all of his junk packed up. He looked around and sighed. He was sure going to miss this place. He wasn't sure where he was going to go, but he knew he couldn't stand living here any longer.

"So… you're really leaving?" said a weak voice behind him.

He turned and saw Raven in the doorway in a robe, her hair still damp. He couldn't believe how terrible she looked. She really did look like she'd gone through hell. None of them had slept in almost twenty-four hours, but no one else looked as tired as she did. She was paler than usual and her eyes and nose were red and raw from crying.

"Yeah, I gotta," he said. "Things are getting too crazy around here for even me."

"But… where're you going to go?" she asked.

"You know, I don't know," he said in sad chuckle. "I think I'll give Cy a call and see where he's staying and bunk up with him."

"Oh," said Raven softly. "Well… it's not going to be the same around here without you."

"Yeah, it'll be a whole lot more quiet, right?" he chuckled bitterly and threw his backpack over his shoulder. Everything else he owned had been packed up into a moving truck he'd rented.

"I guess," Raven shrugged.

He walked over to her and said, "So, are you okay?"

She sighed and said, "Not really."

"Yeah, I wouldn't think so," said Beast Boy. "I'm sorry I couldn't get to you sooner. I tried, Rae, I really did."

"You shouldn't be sorry, Beast Boy," said Raven. "In the end, you did get to me in time."

"If that were true you wouldn't still be so upset about it," said Beast Boy.

Raven bit her lip and looked to the floor. She couldn't believe he was actually leaving. She'd never really counted on this. But she couldn't blame him. Things were getting far too tense and that just wasn't Beast Boy. He liked to have fun and live every day like it was his last.

"Well… I wish you the best," she said at last.

"Yeah, you too," he said back. "And, I mean, it's not like we'll never see each other ever again, right?"

"I don't know, Beast Boy," she said. "I honestly don't know. For all I know Slade will kill me tomorrow."

Beast Boy had never heard her talk like this before. As if she'd accepted some horrible fate Slade would inflict upon her. This was not the Raven he knew. His Raven was a fighter. "No he won't," said Beast Boy firmly. "You're too strong to let him kill you, Rae. I know that no matter what you'll survive, cuz that's what you do. You're a survivor."

He gave her a smile and hoped his words would pick up her spirits a little bit, but there came no change. She still looked tired and defeated. His smile faded away and he sighed. He didn't want to leave her, he really didn't, but what was the point torturing himself with her every day? She didn't want him and that was that.

He adjusted his backpack again and stepped forward. "Well, see ya Rae," he said and wrapped his arms around her for a goodbye hug. She wrapped her arms around him as well and, to his surprise, held him tightly. He held her a little tighter to compensate for her strong hold, but that just caused her to get even closer to him. She buried her face into the crook of his neck, which was just about how tall she was compared to him, and just held him like her life depended on it.

Up until this point he'd done his best not to think about this moment; the moment he left Raven. He figured she'd just ignore him and give him a half-assed wave goodbye. He hadn't been expecting this and now that she was holding him so closely he realized how hard this was going to be. He closed his eyes and absorbed the feel of her so close to him.

Raven didn't want him to go. He was the only thing in this world that added any damn happiness to her life. And now he was leaving and she would probably never see him again. For once, he was probably the smart one while she was being dumb, staying behind to let Slade hurt her again. But what was she to do? Leave with him? She couldn't do that. She knew that Slade would kill Robin and Starfire if she did and she couldn't have that on her conscience. No, she had to stay. Let him get away and be happy. That was all she'd ever wish for him; happiness. He deserved it.

Minutes passed and they remained as one. Beast Boy wasn't sure he'd ever be able to let her go; she had no idea how much she was making him suffer. Finally he came to his senses, pulled out of her grasp, and pushed past her. He made it out of his room and headed down the long hallway, simply staring at the ground. There was no turning back now.

Raven stood in Beast Boy's room, or his former room now. She hadn't turned and watched him go. She'd just kept her eyes closed and let him leave her arms. She hugged her arms close to her body and began to shake. She felt her knees buckle under her and down she fell to the floor.

Beast Boy refused to cry in many situations. For one, men didn't cry, and second, he wasn't supposed to cry. He was the happy joker; forever a child. He didn't cry. But as he walked down the hallway away from his room and from his Raven he felt hot tears pouring down from his eyes and tickling his cheeks. His heart ached so much so that he wondered if he was actually having a heart attack. This kind of pain wasn't normal.

"You still here?" said Robin, standing in the doorway of the evidence room. His arms were crossed and he had his usual pissed off look on his face.

"I'm leaving," Beast Boy spat.

Robin looked at him queerly and saw his tears. "You don't have to cry about it," said Robin.

"Shut up," said Beast Boy through his teeth.

"After all, you're leaving is probably the smartest thing you've ever done," Robin continued. "We'll be better off without your constant screw ups. Although it looks like Raven's quickly taking up that task."

He said this just as Beast Boy was passing by the doorway. He swiftly twisted and punched Robin straight in the nose. The leader of the team was knocked right out and fell to the floor.

"You can go screw yourself," he said over his unconscious former leader's body. He then shook his now bruised knuckles and continued on his way. He made his way down to the garage and got into his moving truck. He sat there for a moment, letting the reality of the situation sink in, then started it up and drove out of the tower.

It was possibly the longest drive of his life. It would've seemed a little shorter if he was sure where he was going and hadn't gotten lost on the way to Cyborg's. But how could he possibly think straight? He couldn't stop this horrid crying and he hoped it'd cease by the time he got to his friend's apartment.

But they didn't. Cyborg opened his door with a large smile, but it disappeared when he saw his poor friend sniffling and shaking from tears. He'd never seen Beast Boy look like this before. He looked lost; completely and utterly lost.

"Well you look glad to be out of there," he sighed. "Come on in."

"Thanks," Beast Boy sniffed.

He dragged himself over to the couch and took a seat, placing his face in his hands. Cyborg took a seat right next to him and waited for him to calm down. He placed a comforting hand on the green man's back and rubbed it soothingly.

"Hey, man, it's gonna be okay," he said. "Ya know this ain't gonna last forever."

"I know," said Beast Boy, rubbing his eyes. "But that doesn't make this any easier."

"I know," Cyborg sighed. "But you'll get through it. We always do."

"This just… sucks," said Beast Boy. "I mean, what the hell happened to us, Cyborg? The team and our lives are falling apart!"

"I think that's what Slade wants," said Cyborg. "I think that's been his plan all along."

"To ruin our lives?" said Beast Boy.

"To destroy the team," clarified Cyborg. "To get rid of the Titans. He could have killed us multiple times now but he hasn't. He's just slowly, but surely, turned us all against each other."

"Hmm… that does make sense," said Beast Boy, sitting back. His tears had finally ceased to fall and he felt like he was calming down. "And if that's true it means Slade's winning."

"Which means we gotta figure out some way to stop this before he succeeds," said Cyborg. "Out of the five of us Robin and Raven are the strongest willed, which is why they're still on the team. And Starfire won't leave unless someone actually rips her away from Robin. I can't imagine what he's gonna do to get to them."

"I think Raven's gonna be the next to go," said Beast Boy lowly.

"Why d'ya say that?" asked Cyborg.

"Cuz he… he kidnapped her early this morning and tried to… to…" He could barely say the words. It was all still too fresh.

"Tried to what?" asked Cyborg, becoming concerned.

"He tried to… to rape her," said Beast Boy, shaking all over. "He didn't actually succeed, but he did something to her."

"Are you serious?!" said Cyborg with wide eyes. "She was almost raped and you left her?!"

"She doesn't want me around," said Beast Boy, bitterly. "She told me herself that she doesn't want my help."

"Well of course she said that, she's scared of what you'll think of her now!" said Cyborg. "How could ya just leave her like that?!"

"Hey, I'm not the one who should be taking care of her!" Beast Boy yelled back. "She's not my girlfriend! Go tell her lazy ass boyfriend to be there for her."

"She doesn't have a boyfriend, you moron," said Cyborg.

"Well she's in love with some guy, let him be the one to help her," said Beast Boy.

"I think I'm gonna have a stroke," said Cyborg, standing up and pacing in front of him. "Ya still haven't figured out who she's in love with?"

"No!" Beast Boy shouted at the top of his lungs, jumping up as well. "I have no fucking idea who it is! Just tell me already! For Christ's sake tell me!"

Cyborg sighed and shook his head. "If ya haven't figured it out by now then I don't think ya deserve to know, B," he said. "Now go drop ya stuff off in the guest room and I'll set up the game station. I think we both need some videogames after today."