A/N: I had a little bit of an inspiration lull while writing this one, as I was trying to come up with a way to introduce certain aspects of the story without it seeming forced. I hope it works out, I am pretty satisfied with this one.

It was late, and Beast Boy couldn't sleep. Cyborg had explained that the shock damage might make it hard to sleep, but he'd shrugged it off, assuming he'd be fine. He'd been wrong. He was beginning to grow tired of his video games, his mind wandering to the plethora of interesting things that had happened to him in the last few weeks.

Cyborg had been merciless in his interrogation about what he insisted was a date. He listened to the whole story, stopping occasionally for snide comments and smooching noises. He teased Beast Boy for the lovely shade of red he wore when he talked about it. He even listened to his concerns about Tesla's memories and his lingering hurt over Terra. In the end, though, he'd grown serious, and told Beast Boy not to get caught up in "What if's", and that he was too young to get hung up on his past. He warned him that if he didn't listen to his heart, he'd regret it later.

Beast Boy tossed the controller at the TV in frustration. He'd died fifteen times in that spot already, and it wasn't even a hard level. He was too distracted to play well. He sunk back into his bean bag chair with a groan, rubbing his temples with his fingers. He was preoccupied by the enigma that occupied the room down the hall. Mystery shrouded her, alluring and exciting. She was beautiful, strong, and dangerous. Definitely his type, he thought bitterly. All the same things that had attracted him to Terra, plus an innocent, almost naive persona that he couldn't be sure wasn't an act. His animal instincts were taunting him with impulses at every corner, reminding him he was as much a wild animal as he was human.

Normally, he would have put the moves on her in a heartbeat, slapping fake confidence on his face and going in for the kill. He had no idea what made her different. Maybe it was the fact that she wasn't totally herself, and thus he couldn't be sure who she really was. Maybe it was that she made him even more nervous because he couldn't possibly guess what was on her mind.

He switched off the TV and contemplated going for a fly when a soft knock came to his door. He glanced down at his shirtless self, wondering if he should throw something on. Just in case, he pulled a plain purple t-shirt from his clean laundry pile and threw it over his lean frame. He didn't realize how desperately he needed a wardrobe upgrade until he had to struggle into the shirt, his muscles preventing a loose fit. When he finally got it on, he realized it was too short and it was back to square one. Cursing under his breath, he removed the shirt, tossing it aside. It was probably just Cyborg anyway.

"Come in," he called, searching the clean pile for a suitable shirt. He didn't want to keep whoever it was waiting. The door slid open, and he could tell by the soft footsteps behind him that it wasn't Cyborg. He didn't turn around, not wanting to confirm.

"Garfield? What are you doing over there?" Crap. He'd been right, it was Tesla. And he still hadn't found a shirt. He needed to do laundry every day, starting tomorrow. He turned to face her sheepishly.

"Sorry, I was just looking for a shirt, but...well I don't have any," he mumbled, averting his gaze.

"I do not mind if you do not." Tesla's matter-of-fact voice reminded him that she didn't have the same sense of shame he did. "I assume we are good enough friends for this level of nudity to be no problem, correct?"

"Uh, I guess you aren't wrong." Why did she say things like that? She can hear his heartbeat, she has to be doing it on purpose. He plopped down on his bed, an upgrade from his previous bunk bed. "So, what's up, Tess?"

He tried not to notice her "Pajamas", probably something also provided by the shameless tamaranean princess. It was a spaghetti strap tank top and very short shorts, showing her ample curves and more cleavage than he expected. Once again he found himself averting his gaze. She seemed not to notice his embarrassment and instead chose to come sit next to him.

"I wanted to speak with Starfire, but she said her and Robin were still 'debriefing'. I assumed the debrief was over hours ago, but I suppose they had other things to talk about."

Beast Boy grimaced. He knew exactly what Starfire and Robin were 'debriefing' about, and wondered if he should clue Tesla in. The couple thought they were so sneaky, pretending they weren't doing anything. Everyone in the tower knew they were together, but for some reason they felt like they needed to sneak around to have sex.

"So I thought that I would come talk to you, then, though I'm not sure about what. I suppose I simply want…" She trailed off, seemingly searching for the right word.

"Company?" Beast Boy offered, placing his hand over hers. She smiled at him, nodding. She didn't move her hand, and he found himself wondering about what went on inside her head again. Does she feel the same way he does when they touch? Does she have...urges? He felt dirty for thinking it, but it was a legitimate concern. If he was a true asshole he could totally take advantage of her right now, and she wouldn't even know it.

"Garfield, your heart rate is elevated again. Are you alright? Are you feeling warm?" Tesla's cold hand on his forehead interrupted his train of thought. "You don't have a fever."

He removed her hand from his forehead and steeled himself. He couldn't live on 'what-ifs' forever. Cyborg was right. He had to be straightforward or in the end one of them would just get hurt. "I'm not sick, I just get excited when you're around."

"I, too, am happy to be in your presence," she said, squeezing his hand. He cursed mentally, releasing her hand. If he kissed her, how would she react? He remembered what Cyborg had said about not getting hung up on 'what-ifs' but he couldn't follow his advice. Sorry, Cy, he thought earnestly. There was no way he could really tell her how he felt. For one, he wasn't exactly ready for a sex talk with her, because it would be required to explain his feelings. Besides, he was suddenly very aware once again of his own half-nakedness, as well as her...his eyes travelled involuntarily to her outfit again.

"Yeah," he said, turning his eyes away, feeling a fresh coat of scarlet form on his cheeks.

"I sent the small sprite out on a retrieval mission, and he should report to me when he finds a memory," she said, changing the subject, much to Beast Boy's relief.

"Oh, it's a he?" She nodded in reply. "Are you going to name it?"

"Is that what one normally does with such a thing?"

"Well, yeah, I mean, it's got its own personality doesn't it? I mean, he."

She seemed thoughtful. "Yes, he does. I suppose it would be right to name him. I will have to think of something fitting"

She leaned her head on his shoulder, seemingly finished with her statement. He didn't know how to respond, so they sat in silence for a minute. He liked how silence felt with her. It wasn't awkward or forced, rather contemplative and serene. She smelled like a moonlit night in summer, and wisteria flowers: soft and intoxicating. He reached up, his hand hovering, hesitant. Were they at the point where he could touch her hair? He took the chance, placing his hand on her soft turquoise curls. An unmistakable sigh left her lips as she leaned into the touch, and he rubbed her head gently.

Whatever the outcome of this whole debacle, he knew he would always cherish this moment, providing comfort for his confused friend, enjoying the softness of her hair. It was such an intimate thing, and yet it wasn't inherently sexual. An hour ago he would have claimed it impossible, but he understood now. The Titans were the closest thing she had to family.

Before he knew what he was doing, he planted a sweet kiss on the top of her head. He froze, face still buried in her hair, waiting to see how she reacted. When she didn't pull away, he relaxed, moving his face to the side the rest on the top of her head. It was more of an embrace now, but he didn't notice. He simply enjoyed the moment for what it was, realizing it wouldn't last forever.

She shot up off the bed, cold sweat pouring from her forehead. Her heart pounded in her chest. Her lilac eyes darted back and forth, barely taking in the sight of Beast Boy's room, momentarily forgetting the sweet moment they'd fallen asleep to.

Urgent, mayday, come immediately.

The sprite's emotions called out to her, screaming, pulling at her unconscious. Her chest constricted, making breathing hard. He was a part of her, and he was in danger. There was no time to wake anyone, she needed to go to him. She cast a second glance over the room, looking for something to throw on over her thin pajamas, catching sight of the purple shirt laying on the bean bag chair. She snatched it up into her hands, unlocked the window, and shot out like a bullet, pulling the shirt on as she flew. The cold sting of the midnight air stained her cheeks with chill, and her breath grew ragged. She didn't even know where she was headed as she zigzagged over the sleeping form of Jump City. The sprite's location called out to her, so she followed it like a horse with blinders, not stopping to see where she was.

Panic blinded her as she frantically looked around. The pulse of the sprite echoed in her chest as her feet met the ground, sprinting into the dilapidated building. Her bare feet struck the cold floor, sending a chill up her spine. Goosebumps dotted her skin, but whether from cold or fear she did not know.

The building was dark and had a sense of foreboding. As she came to her senses she realized she should not have come alone. Static crackled around her as she raised her defenses, eyes scanning the room for movement. The sprite's call became a steady heartbeat, his panic subsiding as he apparently sensed her presence. There was somebody in the room, though who exactly, she had no idea. The presence seemed familiar, but she had no memory bank to back it up. She tried to track their heartbeat or brain waves, but nothing came up. Something was in the way. Her breath hitched; she felt useless.

"I see you have noticed you can't affect me," came a low voice, almost a whisper, from over her right shoulder. She whipped around, bringing her left hand around for a quick thrust, releasing a shockwave. Whoever was there resisted the push and the shockwave blew herself backwards, landing agilely on her feet ten feet away. She squinted in the darkness, not wanting to compromise even a second to switch to nightvision. She could barely make out a dark figure lurking in the shadows, and before she knew it, wires were constricting her body, pinning her arms to her sides and her legs together. A yelp escaped her lungs, panic contorting her face.

"Come, now, X. I've no intention to harm you. If I did that, I wouldn't get paid." A hand came into view of a strand of moonlight, and she caught a glimpse of shiny black and copper armor holding her sprite. It struggled against the man's grip, squealing and crying out for her. She clutched her chest, feeling his pain. "I simply wanted to return this friend to you. It seems he's recovered something very...important."

Suddenly the sprite was zooming towards her and the hand was disappearing into the shadow. She felt weightless as the sprite hit her chest, flooding her mind with jumbled memories she couldn't separate from one another. She felt her consciousness slip, darkness obscuring her vision until all that was left was the strange voice, calm and serene and deadly.

"Dear Tesla...We'll meet again soon enough, when it's time for me to collect."

The sunlight filtered in through the battered roof of the old building, warming her face. The musty smell filled her nose as she nudged herself into consciousness. The high-pitched sound of the sprite was whining concernedly in her ear. She opened her eyes slowly, squinting at the sunlight. Her whole body felt heavy, as if she had weights on each limb. It took her a second to remember that she could simply run diagnostics to check on her systems. After minor nerve repair, her limbs were movable again, and she sat up, her head pounding. The ropes from the previous night were suspiciously not present. She glanced around nervously as she remembered where she was. Who was that guy? What did he want with her? His cryptic words left her feeling queasy and confused. Was that who her father had meant when he'd said somebody was after her?

There was a sound of debris being moved, and familiar voices, and then the unmistakable sound of a very relieved Beast Boy: "Tess!"

She turned to see the changeling running towards her, followed closely by Starfire, and then the others. He skidded to a stop on his knees next to her, taking her hand. "Tesla, are you okay? What happened?"

"You did not appear for the breakfast, and we could not find you in the tower, so we followed your communicator signal and found you here," Starfire added, kneeling down next to her and gingerly placing a hand on her shoulder. "Are you harmed? What has occurred?"

She stared at them blankly, not quite sure what to say. The sprite nestled into her chest, returning to rest now that she was safe. The new memories were just a jumble, and they obscured what she could remember from the night before She stared mutely at them, for what she could tell was too long. They began to exchange nervous glances, and Beast Boy moved to help her up.

"We can figure it out back at the tower," he offered sympathetically. "I'm sure you need some time to figure it all out."

She nodded, leaning her weight on him and noting a sharp pain in her ankle. "I am hurt, a little," she mentioned, gesturing slightly to the pained appendage.

"That's alright, you can lean on me," Beast Boy said, drawing her closer and moving her arm around his neck. His dark green eyes met hers, and he smiled at her. She smiled back, and shifted her weight to let him hold her, resting her head on his shoulder as they started back towards the T-Car. Robin was saying something, but she wasn't listening. She was too busy thinking about how lucky she was to have such wonderful friends.

A/N: Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. A little bit of mystery, but my loyal TT fans should know exactly who we're dealing with. There's explanations for everything, I promise haha

Please Review! I would love to hear your feedback on how I handled this chapter.