Chapter 10! Two of the four I want to get out during this long weekend. I'm watching dance clips from So you Think you Can dance… I don't know why, but it inspires me to write… anyways… here we go.

Disclaimer: don't own it. Never will. Which sucks… a lot…

"Raven…" He spoke softly, trying to wake the slumbering bird in his arms.

She mumbled something incoherent into his chest as she slept on. He wanted to talk, and she wanted to sleep. It was the most she'd slept in three days. She knew the sun's rays threatened to break through the think material of her curtains, but she was just so comfortable.

"Wake up, little bird." He said with a bored tone. "If you don't wake up, I'll be forced to drop you into the ocean."

Her eyes snapped open at that. It was November; that water was freezing during the winter. She peered at him through the violet locks in her face. She already knew she had some serious bed head by the look on his face. Her eyes widened a fraction as she stared at the face that had been hidden from her –and the Titans—for so long.

"I guess both Beast Boy and Starfire were wrong about what was under there." She murmured, sitting up and slipping from his grasp.

He watched with a raised eyebrow as she searched for something on her bed. The sheets were bunched at her waist as she leaned forward trying to find the missing piece. When her fingers brushed across the cold metal, she smiled grimly. Turning back to him, she averted her eyes as she held out his two toned mask. His eye widened considerable as he reached out and took his mask back.

She waited patiently to hear the metal click of the mask's latch. When she didn't hear it, she cast a quick glance up at him. He was sitting there, just staring at his mask. An eye patch rested over the un-useable eye as emotions passed through the other blue-gray one.

Pain.

Regret.

Longing.

All emotions she knew so well.

Sighing softly, she dragged her hand through her tangled hair. She cast a quick glance over at her clock. The red numbers read that it was almost mid-afternoon. Looking back to the man in front of her, she crawled over. Resting her hands on his, she caught his panicked stare.

They stayed silent, not knowing what to do next. So, Raven took the initiative. Pushing his mask aside to rest on the pillow next to them, she wedged herself between his legs. He was sitting up now, his knees bent slightly as the girl sat in the middle of his limbs. Her soft hands came up to cup his face. Her eyes searched it, trying to take in as much as he would allow her to.

Tipping her head to the side as she continued to memorize his face, she shivered as hand came up to cup her cheek. A ghost of a smile played on her lips as she stroked his cheek gently. She leaned into his hand as he kept it there, gazing at her in interest. Her eyes fluttered shut as a warmth spread through her.

She could feel his essence mixing with hers as her minds defenses fell. She was giving him open access, and he had been doing the same. She could search if she wanted, but she didn't. Raven wanted him to tell her. She wanted him to open up and tell her everything about himself. She wanted to know everything.

And he felt the same.

"I could heal your eye." She whispered the information as her fingers brushed across the black patch.

"I don't want you to. Not yet." He replied, catching her wrist and bring her hand back down to rest on his chest.

'He couldn't be older then 30…' She thought to herself as her eyes scanned his features again.

"I'm twenty-nine." He chortled, grinning.

She could feel his heart hammering away in his chest. It beat beneath her palm as her eyes drifted down to the broad expanse. Trailing her gaze back up, she met his amused stare. Tangling her fingers in his white blond hair, she leaned forward slowly. Slade was taken aback. She was kissing him this time. When their lips met in a soft, chaste kiss, he couldn't take anymore.

Threading his gloveless fingers into her lavender locks, he pulled her more firmly to him. Their lips worked against each others in a gentle passion as the fire inside of them built with each touch. Parting her lips in invitation, she moaned softly as his tongue darted into her mouth. They danced again. Their tongues moved against each others ardently. His other hand moved to the small of her back, pulling her flush against him.

Pulling from the kiss, she rested her forehead against his. Her breath came in small pants as she lost herself in him.

"Raven…" The way he spoke her name made her giddy inside, causing her heart to flutter.

"You need to go." She told him, her voice shaking. "Robin is already up, and I'm normally up by now too. He's going to come for me."

Slade sighed in frustration. He wanted to steal his little bird away. Reaching over, he gripped his mask tightly with a single hand. Her feminine ones took the steel mask away. She smiled up at him meekly and placed the cold covering over his gorgeous face. Her small fingers latched the clasp, and her hands slid back down to his chest with a sigh.

Before she knew it, he was out of her bed and standing by her window. "I'm not stopping little bird. This thing –whatever it is—is not being caused by the woman you met yesterday. No matter how much we both want it to be that way, it isn't. She plays dirty, but she hates emotions. Don't let it confuse you."

After that, he was gone. Her curtains fluttered in the wind because of the open window. Falling out of bed, she scrambled to her feet and stumbled to the opening. Looking out, she couldn't spot him anywhere. He always was good with those strange disappearing acts.

Bathroom…

She had darted quickly, clothes in hand, from her room to another. Her bare feet padded against the tile floor as she set her clothes down on the marble counter top. Pivoting on her foot, she faced the door and locked in quickly. She didn't need Beast Boy walking in on her again.

She shuddered at the thought. Sure, she'd made him suffer greatly for his mistake. He wouldn't go near 'her' bathroom anymore. Scoffing, she turned to the glass door of the shower. Pulling it open, she turned the knob for hot water. She smelled like Slade –not that she really minded—and Robin would notice if she didn't scrub it away. Stepping back, she let the water run while she stripped from her leotard and cloak. They fell in a puddle at her feet.

Sighing, she stepped into the glass cubicle. Hot water flowed down her skin. She felt every ache in her body stop as the heat calmed her guilt. She didn't even bother to close the door all the way as she lost her train of thought. All that was running through her mind was how good it felt to be standing under the pounding water.

Reaching out with her powers, she pulled her shampoo to her. Squirting some into her hand, she started to message it into her scalp. The pink soap was what gave her the strawberry scented hair. After it was completely rubbed in, she let the water rinse the lather from her violet hair. The soft scent filled the room, rising with the steam to fog up the large mirror on the wall opposite her.

Pouring out her vanilla body wash she began to scrub away his smell. She really didn't want it to go away… Sighing, she began to rinse off the sweet scented foam coating her body. It was only then that she noticed the extra soap bottle sitting on the shelf. Reaching out with a damp hand, she pulled it to her.

'Lavender?' Her brows furrowed.

Shrugging, she snapped open the top and inhaled the flowery scent deeply. Making a small sound of satisfaction, she poured some out and into her hand. Now she would smell like lavender and vanilla…

'Not a bad mix…' She smiled softly.

After ridding herself of his smell, she shut the water off. She already missed the sensation of water running across her skin. Groaning she pulled her towel off the rack hanging outside the glass. Wrapping it around herself securely, she stepped out still dripping. Reaching out a single hand, she created a clear streak in the fogged glass before her. She saw the look in her eyes, and felt the guilt settle back into her stomach.

"You stupid girl." She glared into her reflection.

Blackness leaked from her. It recoiled behind her like a cobra as her eyes grew white. Then, darting forward, it struck the mirror shattering it. Gasping, Raven pulled her escaping powers back to her. She gulped as she began to pat herself dry so that she could change.

Living room…

Robin sat at one of the computers, his masked eyes narrowed into slits. He was looking for Slade while everyone was still asleep. He needed to find his masked foe. It was a little obsessive of him, but something was stressing Raven out. He had a feeling it was something to do with him and the villain that seemed to be bothering them most.

Another dead end… He sighed dragging his fingers through his gelled hair. He hadn't heard the almost inaudible padding of footsteps coming up behind him. He jumped as two hands rested on his shoulders.

"What are you looking for?" Her voice rung softly in his ear as her fingers worked at the tension in his shoulders.

"Slade." He choked out while holding back a moan.

She was good with those hands. He let his head lull back as she worked the knots out of his back. Leaning over his shoulder, she peered at the computer screen.

"Not working well?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Nuh-uh…" He mumbled, frowning because she stopped.

She nodded her head, expecting his answer. Sighing, she continued to work at his shoulders and upper back. She still felt the guilt building up in her stomach. It had made itself at home in her intestines and kept building up. She felt like she was going to blow. Nawing at her lower lip, she took a few steps back.

"Raven?" He turned to look at the girl behind him.

Her eyes betrayed the calm look on her face. He spun in his chair to face her. Standing, he took a single step towards her. With an outstretched hand, he tucked a stray hair behind her ear. Scanning her body he took notice of the casual wear. A pair of knee length, off-white shorts clung to her thighs, and a purple T-shirt fit her like a second skin, little silver swirls going up one of the sides.

"Is something wrong?" He asked after his eyes finally made it back to hers.

She had felt the trail that his gaze had made down her body and she couldn't help but smirk. "No. Why do you ask?"

"You just seemed upset." He shrugged a single shoulder. "Rae… do you want to go out with me today?"

Her eyes widened at the question. "Are you—are you asking me on a date, Mr. Grayson?"

"Well…" He trailed off, his face flushing. "Yeah. What do you say?"

"Yes." She smiled, lunging forward and hugging him tightly.

He stumbled back a bit before he wrapped his arms around her small waist. All of the concerned emotions washed away with her answer. They were going on their first official date. He chuckled into her violet hair, stroking her spine. Suddenly, she went frigid under his touch. Pushing away from him, she looked into his eyes with regret.

"Robin, I have to tell you something." She said, her voice shaking.

"Tell me while we're out." He grinned, grabbing her hand.

She sighed softly as he pulled her in the direction of the door. She really didn't want to tell him, but if they were going to be a couple, she would have to. Raven bit her lip again as he pulled her down a hallway. It was going to be a long day.

Later- 4:57 p.m.

She'd been trying to tell him the entire time, but he just wouldn't listen long enough. He kept asking stupid questions! Okay… so maybe they weren't stupid to him. He wanted to know more about her since she already knew about him. The information he kept asking for was private though. It was the thing she didn't want to explain or think about. She could barely breathe with it weighing down on her.

"Come on, Rae. Tell me about where you're from." He squeezed her hand over the table top.

After seeing a movie and going for a walk in the park, they had ended up at the Pizzaria once again. The movie had been lame and the park had been filled with people who wanted to get their autographs and women who wanted to get with her date. Raven tapped her foot against the linoleum floor as they sat at a booth.

"It's really not that special. Just some other dimension full of temples and monks." She told him through gritted teeth.

"There had to be more than that." He chuckled, scooting closer to her. "I know about your dad. What about your mom?"

Both of their sodas boiled over the rim of their respective cups. Her grip on his hand tightened as the glass shattered. She winced at the odd looks they received, and looked out the window and away from her date.

"Sorry." She whispered; her face red with embarrassment.

"It's fine." He frowned. "Raven, you want to get out of here?"

Turning to face him, she nodded her head rapidly in response. He grinned, placing a few bills onto the table. Pulling her from the booth, they darted out of the restaurant and to the R-cycle. He swung his leg over, passing her the spare helmet. Taking it quickly, she pulled it over her head and hopped on behind him.

The motorcycle purred as he turned it on, revving the engine. After he pulled on his own helmet, he sped out into the street. Her hold on him tightened as he swerved around the slow traffic. Smirking, he called back to her over his shoulder to 'hold on'. It came out muffled through the glass of his helmet and the passing winds. She gripped even tighter at his torso, yelping as she felt the weight shift on the bike.

He popped the front wheel up, traveling forward only by the back wheel. Squeezing her eyes shut she readied herself to fall just in case. Her eyes snapped open as she felt the front tip back down. She let out a relieved laugh at feeling level again. Burying her face into his back, she let the feeling of the wind gliding past them take over her senses.

She was finally getting used to this high-speed craziness when she felt the bike lurch to a stop. Her eyes refused to open as Robin shut off the engine. They were home and she still hadn't gotten a chance to tell him. Groaning, she forced herself to peel off of him. Rolling her head like she'd seen Slade do so many times, she tried to shake the fidgety feeling from her system.

It didn't work.

Robin looked at her as he placed his bright red helmet on the seat of his R-cycle. She had pulled hers off and shaken her hair out. Holding it out to him she looked with pleading eyes. He took the spare reluctantly, and frowned as she fazed away.

"Damn…" He hissed, storming to the door.

With Slade…

He watched the whole ordeal in the garage. Something was troubling his little bird. He knew she was tearing inside as she tried to decide on what to do. He could still feel the warmth of her in his arms. He hadn't changed his shirt because it smelled so much like her. These little things that he did to still feel connected made him shudder.

He was attached to a half-demon goody-goody. The thought didn't sit well with him, but somewhere inside he didn't mind. Which made him sicker. This had to be the witches fault.

"I'm going to make my move." Her voice sent disgusted shivers across his skin.

"What move is that?" He hissed over his shoulder.

Christine was leaning on the door jam looking at him with amused eyes. A small black dress hugged her hourglass figure, showing just enough to leave almost any man drooling. Sauntering over, she leaned on the back of his chair.

"It's a secret." She giggled at the annoyed look in his eye. "Don't get in my way."

"I already said I wouldn't." He hissed back.

"Good." She patted him on the head as if he were a child. "I wouldn't want you getting hurt."

7:26 p.m. Titan Tower…

"Raven, please open up." He knocked on her door again.

"Dude, maybe she's meditating or sumthin'." Beast Boy shrugged, trying to get Robin to leave his post.

"I don't care." He snapped. "I have to talk to her."

Just then, red lights flashed through out the building, the alarm ringing deafeningly. The metal door in front of him slid open to reveal a cloaked Raven staring at him with hard eyes. He gulped audibly, breaking out into a cold sweat.

"Um… uh… hi?" He squeaked as his voice cracked.

"Hi." She said, rolling her eyes. "Let's get this over with…"

She brushed past both of the boys, walking down the length of the hallway with rapid footsteps. The two boys looked at each other with frozen features, and then sped after her. When they had made it to the living room, a live video was playing over the large screen. Some charity ball was being trashed.

"Titans Go!" Robin commanded.

Before anyone could move, Raven was gone. A large black raven encased her as she soared through the sky.

Charity Ball…

Saying the place was huge would be a large understatement. Raven raised a fine eyebrow as she spotted a giant chandelier hanging above the center of the ballroom. Many people were huddled in corners as they all stared at one person in particular.

A female someone…

"Raven!" She smiled at her, placing a hand on her hip. "It's so nice of you to show up. Where are your little buddies though?"

"They're on their way." She snapped glaring into green eyes. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Oh, come now, don't be rude." Her voice was sweet, but laced with a bitterness.

Her shoes crunched across broken glass as she made her way to some of the nicely dressed patrons. Reaching out with a feminine hand, she gripped a handsome suitor by the throat. Pulling him up into the air, her hand over her head, his feet dangling above the floor; she couldn't help but giggle. The brunette caught the female birds gaze.

"You should really be nicer, maybe dress up a little." She suggested. "I mean, look at this guy…"

She dropped him to the floor. He sat in a heap on the floor, gazing up in terror as he tried to catch his breath. Reaching down, she gripped his lower face scrunching it up in a mocking way.

"He's cute. He could be a loyal little servant to you. But they way you dress…" She took a breath a shook her head. "It just sends off creepy vibes."

"I don't think I caught your name last time we spoke." Raven hissed, clenching her fists.

"Oh!" She pushed the man away, twisting his head back so that it snapped as he collapsed to the floor. "How impolite of me. Please, call me Christine. At least for now anyways."

Raven cringed as she heard the sickening crack of bone hitting bone. "Christine… a mundane name for someone who seems to have the powers you say you do."

"What's a name anyway?" The brunette tossed her arms up. "I mean, your name is Raven. It's not like you're actually a bird or anything. So when did you say your friends were getting here?"

Raven took a few steps forward, watching the woman before her carefully. "Soon."

"Oh, good. I wouldn't want them to miss the big show." She smiled again, strolling up to the other girl as if they were best friends. "Listen, about yesterday… no hard feelings?"

"What?" Violet eyes narrowed as green ones changed into a bright aqua.

"I'm not trying to force you into anything." Christine patted her shoulder lightly. "Well… I am, but I don't think you should hold that against me. I've been doing things like this for centuries."

"Exactly, how old are you?" Raven asked breathlessly.

"Oh I lost track during the Roman Empire." She tossed a brown curl over her shoulder. "Anyways, I'm not going to stop until you do what I want. That's for you to rule over the dimensions and have me as your right hand gal."

"Right!" She retorted with mock curiosity. "Remind me why I'll be doing this again?"

Two female hands pushed her hood back. The dainty fingers stroked her violet locks gently before gripping a chunk of hair and tugging. A frown replaced the smile that had been on the woman's red lips. Raven cried out in pain as Christine tossed her across the room by her hair.

"Don't test me little girl." She hissed, her eyes changing to pure black and her voice deepening. "I'll pass with flying colors."

Raven looked up at the woman in confusion.

Her voice lightened again, a smile falling on her features and her eyes changing to a yellow color. "Now… you have got to tell me what body wash you use. Is it… lavender?"

Cliffy!!! Next chapter will start where this one ended. More about Christine and her craziness in the next one too. She's going to be my favorite evil character x3!!! A pretty, sadistic, seemingly sweet person who… (like I said, you'll find out next chapter)

I know it makes you feel special when I put your name in here so…. JESSA!!! Happy now?

Love and cookies to my readers.