Before I continue the story, I just want to give a shout out to all the people who have reviewed this story thus far. I have written quite a few stories, all for different fandoms, and I have never gotten so much feedback in such little time. Thanks for letting me have your opinions, glad you like my interpretations!

Beast Boy's head pounded furiously, and the throbbing caused him to groan when he finally awoke, dazed and confused. As his blurry vision cleared, he found himself not at the park, but in his own room. Groggily, he glanced around, and from the corner of his eye, saw someone there, watching him.

With a screech that caused his head to bang even harder, he clawed as far away as he could from the figure, only to realize that the shape was familiar. Raven levitated just above his mattress, her short hair and cloak swirling around her, her eyes shut gently. As he stared at her face and his heart began to slow it's absurd pace, tiny flashes of memory flew by in his mind's eye. He saw sunshine, and a Frisbee, broken trees and blood, red metal, screams, moist green grass and children with a dog. But most of all, at the very cusp of his recall, he heard something. A laugh. A beautiful, rare, joy filled laugh.

Beast Boy carefully climbed over his teammate and stumbled into the kitchen, and found that the others were missing. He drank several glasses of water, and swallowed a few pain relieving pills with a little difficulty before trudging back to his room. The young man partially expected the girl to be awake upon his arrival, and when he found her still slumbering, he was at a loss what to do. After a few minutes of pacing, Beast Boy left his room again, went to the living room, and flicked on the television. About an hour later, the rest of the team returned home.

"Friend!" Starfire cried jubilantly as she squeezed Beast Boy in a bone crushing hug. "I am most glad to see you doing the up and about!"

"Thanks, Star," Beast Boy sighed happily, returning the hug. Once their embrace ended, he looked at his other roommates with confusion. "So, like, what exactly happened?"

"To be honest, we aren't really sure," Cyborg said, leaning against the kitchen counter.

"You and Raven went to go hang out at the park, and a little while later, she called me on the communicator, saying that Adonis had attacked, and that you two needed backup." More memories began to fall into place; he remembered the first few hits and punches, and how the tree had snapped as he collided with it. He only remembered the pain, the rage…and the sudden change. The Beast. He had accidently released the Beast again. As he tried to hide his horror and disgust he felt with himself, Robin continued on, unaware of the changeling's inner battle. "By the time we arrived, the fight was over. We just came home from taking Adonis to jail." Robin placed a reassuring hand on the tall man's shoulder, and gave it a strong squeeze. "We are all glad you're okay."

"And Raven?" Cyborg asked, scanning the living room with his mechanical eye and not locating her. "Is she alright?"
"I think so," Beast Boy muttered, itching his spiky hair. "She's passed out in my room, healing herself. I'll go and check on her."

"Please, might I come along and check on her as well?" Starfire asked hopefully.

"Honestly Star," Beast Boy chuckled nervously, "the only reason Raven is sleeping in there right now is because she was probably too beat up from the fight to walk out into the hallway and sleep on the floor. Really, you don't want to go in there."

"Yeah, girl, the pile of unwashed socks in that room could kill a skunk," Cyborg smirked, crossing his large arms. As Starfire's laugh trailed behind him, Beast Boy felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment. When he had been younger, his messy trademark had been something he was proud of, his identifier. But he was 19 now; it was time to grow up.

The door slid open immediately in greeting to him, and Raven was just as he had left her. Knowing that if I wasn't ready, there was no way of waking me, he shook my shoulder gently, calling my name slowly. He heaved a sigh of relief when my eyes slid open and focused on his face. "Thank goodness," he grinned, "I'm glad that you're okay."

I floated back down onto the mattress and sat up quickly. With a quick look of disgust around the room, I checked my body for any severe damage that I hadn't had time to heal, and was pleased to see that only a minor bruise on my thigh was left of the encounter.

"What happened?" he asked quietly. I turned to him, pulling my hood over my head, then hopped off of his bed, so that I was standing beside him.

"Adonis attacked, and we fought him. We won." I began heading to the door, but could feel his gaze on my back. "Something you need to say to me?" I asked as I glided out the door.

"I'm just glad that you're okay," he said quickly as the door began to slide close. I put my hand in the door jam, and offered him a quick grin of my own from within the shadows of my cloak.

"I'm glad that you are okay too," I said, before returning to my own room. I began meditating, focusing on reeling in all of the day's stress and pain, for several hours. Half way through, Starfire came into my room silently, and upon seeing my state, began to float beside me, and joined me wordlessly in centering herself. After a few more hours, I felt I had complete control, and allowed my chanting to stop, and for my feet to touch the floor.

"I'm so very glad that you are unharmed!" Starfire immediately bellowed, hugging me passionately. I returned it in a meeker, duller fashion, and when she let go, her smile was so bright, it felt like it was illuminating the room.

"I'm glad you're happy," I offered in my usual drab tone. We walked out of the room together, the shadow and sunshine, and strode into the living room, where the three boys were playing a combat video game on the immense television. They all offered the pair of us curt greetings as they continued playing. I sipped a cup of tea while Starfire munched on some of her freakish alien food, and we watched the sun set together, the noise of the men's conflict a pleasant, familiar background track.

When I had drained my cup and the sun was gone, I excused myself from my friend's company and headed to the roof, where I could be alone and watch the city in the distance. The city's lights twinkled invitingly, and I sighed with content, glad that the Teen Titans were able to protect the people again.

I grew tense at this thought. We weren't the Teen Titans anymore. When this had all started, when Starfire had first come to Earth, and her arrival had bonded us all together, I had been 15. Time was a cruel creature. Five years later, things were changing. Robin went out on missions more and more often alone. Cyborg, whose now 22, goes out most evenings to go dancing or to the bar. Everyone was growing up, and we were no longer teenagers. We were all adults, still living in the same house, arguing who ate the last slice of pizza, and blaming each other for the loss of the remote.

Rekma. The Drifting. It was something that Starfire had feared all that time ago, on that strange, alien holiday. At the time, her fear of us growing distant had bonded us together. But we were all adults now, and we were all stronger than we were before. Robin had mentioned that when we had originally began fighting crime, none of us were experienced enough to go in it alone, and it made sense for us to form a group. But now…well, he hadn't said it, but he had implied it: we didn't need each other anymore.

He is wrong. I need them. I need all of them. Before them, I never knew love or friendship. I never knew the meaning of family, or how someone could irritate you so much that the idea of punching them in the face both pleased you and made you upset with yourself for thinking such things. Without them, I was alone. Alone, like I had been for so long. The others were all ready to move on with their lives, start families, have their own home, but the idea of going out there without them frightened me. But how could I tell them that? How could I, secretive, introverted half demon, tell my family that I still needed them? I wasn't ready to be alone, and I wasn't sure if I ever would be.

Feeling worse than when I had originally climbed to the roof, I headed for the stairs, and retired for the evening.