Chapter 10 Save You

Warm sunlight hit Raven's face, stirring her from her sleep. For a brief moment she felt lost, unfamiliar in her surroundings. The room was silent except for the birds singing outside. Raven turned over in the bed to see Beastboy still laying on the floor, now human, wrapped up in an old blanket. His kindness felt genuine, not full of pity like most people around her. She liked that he was reaching out to her because he cared, not because he felt sorry for her.

Beastboy was a good friend like that.

As she became more alert, Raven could feel the panicked heartbeat of Robin approaching the room followed by the thumping of his steel toe boots against the carpeted hallway floor.

Suddenly, there was a banging on Beastboy's bedroom door. Judging by the energy, Raven could infer that Robin was on the other side of the door. Beastboy groaned slightly, wiping the drool from his lower lip before standing up and stumbling towards his bedroom door. Raven sat up, opening her mouth to warn him, but it was too late. The door slid open, exposing to Robin a half naked, sleepy Beastboy and a gawking Raven enveloped in the changelings bed.

Robin's eyes widened for a moment, before narrowing.

"What the hell is going on here?" His voice became very low, causing Raven's skin to chill. Beastboy rubbed his eyes before peering at Robin, confused.

"Huh?" He muttered. Raven could swear that she heard Robin growl before pushing past Beastboy and making a beeline to Raven. Raven held up her hands, wanting to urge Robin to calm down. He grabbed her by her unbandaged wrist and pulled her up from the bed.

"Come with me." He ordered quietly before wrapping his arm around Raven's shoulders and leading her out of the room. The two birds left Beastboy standing alone in his messy bedroom, confused and disoriented.

Robin directed Raven around the corner of the hallway towards his bedroom, coercing her inside and shutting the door quickly behind them. Raven was at first afraid to challenge him, feeling his emotions radiate off of his body like heat. Anger, it seemed, and something else...Jealous maybe?

"Raven, what happened?" He asked, placing both of his hands on her shoulders. She faulted, tilting her head slightly.

"What do you mean?" She asked, his eyes narrowed further.

"I turn you away so you go and sleep with Beastboy? Are you out of your mind?" Raven smirked for a brief moment, feeling the jealousy that he was trying to hide.

"What, not like you wanted me anyway, right?" Robin's grip tightened on Raven's shoulders.

"What made you think that this was okay? What made Beastboy think this was something that was acceptable? Did he take advantage of you? I swear I'll-" Raven pushed away from him.

"Calm down Robin," she hissed, stepping back. "Beastboy and I did nothing. He was just being a friend and taking care of me." Robin faltered as she continued "Since all you could do was push me away." Regret began to bubble into Robin's stomach, sickened at his assumptions and actions. How could he have possibly made such an assumption?

"I...I'm sorry, Rae. I just...You weren't in your room and all I could think was that…." Raven crossed her arms over her chest.

"What?"

"Nothing. I just want to protect you." Rage welled up in Raven's chest. Feeling weak and defenseless was hard enough, but coming to terms with her feelings for Robin and relationships with her teammates following their reactions to the attack was agonizing.

"Richard, can't we just...Forget about this? All of this? And start over?" Robin's face softened at the sound of his first name. He heard it so rarely nowadays that it sent goosebumps up his arms.

"I want to, Rae, I really do. But I don't think that's the best route for you right now...You've only had that cast on for a week. The bruises haven't even faded yet. Give yourself some time to heal. We can go from there." Raven crossed her arms over her chest and looked down at her bare feet. " Robin placed his hands on her shoulders before placing a gentle kiss on her cheek.

"Trust me, please."

Raven frowned before placing a tender hand over his. Why hadn't they discussed these feelings sooner? Why did it have to wait for her life to be ripped apart before it could come to light?

As Raven opened her mouth to speak again, Beastboy's yells stopped the words from coming out. Robin and Raven jumped before turning on their heels and rushing to the OPPS room.

Trouble.

As the two approached the OPPS room, they quickly realized Beastboy's yells were not of danger, but of excitement and laughter.

The birds stopped dead when they saw the Titans East standing in their living room. Bumble Bee, Aqualad, Speedy, Mas and Menos, Kid Flash and Jinx, their two newest additions.

Raven's heart dropped into her stomach. Of all times for Garth to show up at the tower, this was quite possibly the worst.

Starfire beamed a bright smile, squeezing Bumble Bee in a suffocating hug.

"Friends!" She exclaimed! "I have summoned our dear teammates from across the country so we may enjoy their company! Isn't that glorious?!" Robin sighed and threw his hand on his forehead. For a moment, Raven couldn't breathe.

"Starfire, why wouldn't you have told us that you had invited them? We weren't really prepared for visitors." Raven could feel Robin's hesitation; it was hard to balance Starfire's behaviors the the feelings of the unexpected guests.

Guilt waved over Raven's body; everything shouldn't have been thrown upside down for her.

Garth stepped forward, holding out his hand for a customary handshake with Robin. He had always been so formal. It was something Raven admired.

"Sorry for dropping in, Robin. Starfire told us you guys could use some cheering up. She said the workload has been difficult for you lately and you all needed some help relaxing." Robin reluctantly took Garth's hand, pretending to be enthusiastic in returning his gesture.

"Of course! Pleasure to have you all here with us." Robin smiled, his leader persona disguising the nervous feelings swirling around inside of him. "Please make yourselves at home."

Mas and Menos buzzed around the OPPS room, vibrating across the walls and ceilings, muttering so fast that Raven could not pick apart the spanish phrases they were saying. It usually wasn't that hard for her.

Garth turned to Raven, a safe and friendly smile gracing his face. While they were former lovers, they were usually good at being civil in public. His eyes drift down to her casted wrist and the bruises yellowing on her face.

"Rough fight recently?" He asked, lighthearted in tone. Raven reached her hand to her temple, frustrated that she had been struggling to concentrate long enough to tap into her healing abilities.

"Yeah….really rough." She answered quietly. This was not how she wanted to be seen by him, or anyone for that matter. Raven already felt like she had a spotlight on her. There couldn't be a worse time to put the team under the microscope; they were practically falling apart.

"I hate when that happens. I actually broke my leg last summer, believe it or not."Garth chuckled, shifting his weight. " Took on some mutated thugs with a goddamn electric slingshot and got thrown through an office building. I don't think I have ever felt so stupid in my life, even if it wasn't my fault." Raven cracked a smile, imagining her dark haired friend being catapulted into a local bank or insurance company. It was comically ungraceful and unusual for someone like Garth.

"That doesn't sound like you at all." Raven chortled, stepping closer.

"Trust me", he continued; I'm not proud of myself. Roy shit on my life for months until he got pantsed by Billy Numerous after New Years." Raven let out a loud snicker, covering her mouth to hide her amusement when Roy peered over to them. Garth started to snicker as well.

"We really need to catch up, Rae. I have so many stories to tell you!" Raven nodded, letting her smile broaden. This is what she wanted; to be treated like she always had been by her team.

"Absolutely."She replied. Garth's eyes grazed the room, noticing the other Titans preoccupied with each other. He leaned forward to whisper in Raven's direction.

"Do you still have access to the roof?" He asked with some mischief in his voice. Raven rolled her eyes.

"Why wouldn't I? C'mon." She turned and briskly walked through the OOPS room and into the hallway, Garth eagerly at her heels. Robin's eyes followed their bodies, his heart swelling in concern.

As Raven pushed open the roof door and felt the crisp cool summer air hit her face, a feeling of exhilaration bubbled up inside of her stomach. All of the knowing watchful eyes were distracted. Once again the familiar feeling of being alone with Garth brought a nostalgic form of comfort.

"Looks like it's going to be a beautiful day today, huh? Good thing we got here early." Garth smiled sweetly, stepping next to Raven at the edge of the roof.

"Guess so." She muttered, shifting her feet. Raven wanted to tell him. If he loved her before, maybe he would understand.

"We had a lot of great times together, didn't we Garth?" Raven started slowly. Garth smiled again.

"We always do, Raven. You're still the best." Raven crossed her arms and turned her eyes downward to the waves below.

"You probably shouldn't think of me that way anymore." Garth cocked his head, confused.

"What are you talking about? So you got your butt kicked; It happens to the best of us."Raven curled into herself.

"It's more than that. Garth, I…." Before the words could come out, the roof door squeaked open. Robin stood in the doorway, slightly blushed in the cheeks. He cleared his throat.

"Hey, guys. Um...Cyborg is making breakfast. Starfire wants to have a brunch...or something…."

Garth shrugged, accepting the interruption before placing his hand on Raven's back.

"Tell me later. Whatever it is, I'm sure it's not that bad." A smile and a crisp pat on the shoulder was all of the comfort ignorant Garth would give her before leaving the roof and jogging down the staircase.

"C'mon Beastboy, I could kick your ass in football any day of the week!" Speedy quipped, tossing Cyborg's prized football and back forth between his two hands. Beastboy jumped up in excitement. By the time Aqualad and Raven arrived back into the Opps Room, Speedy and Beastboy were chasing each other around the room. Beastboy jumped over the kitchen table.

"Screw you dude, you wouldn't even stand a chance!" Speedy let out a hearty laugh.

"Seriously man, I doubt you could even catch a football." Beastboy beat against his chest before holding his arms out.

"Bring it on, Carrot Top!" Speedy smirked before winding back his arm. Starfire protested, expressing concern that someone would get hurt or something would break.

Speedy launched the football across the OPPS room. Beastboy jumped up and lunged at the ball. He caught the ball in his chest, the momentum projecting him straight into the trash can and recycle bins next to the kitchen. His scrawny green body rolled over the two bins, sending both of their contents all over the living room area. The green boy groaned, holding the ball above his head as he lay flat on the floor.

"Told you guys I could catch it." Aqualad began to laugh before jogging over to Beastboy and helping him up.

"Nice catch man, but maybe you guys should bring this all outside. Pretty sure Cyborg will beat both of you if you destroy the tower." Beastboy and Aqualad leaned down and began to clean up the mirage of garbage, food bits and recycled papers.

Aqualad slowed to a stop when he discovered a torn up newspaper with Raven's bruised face sprawled across the cover. A blurred Cyborg's body accompanied the image, half of his face torn from the page. The words below were large, bolded and hard to ignore.

TEEN TITAN SEXUALLY ASSAULTED! LEFT FOR DEAD! DETAILS INSIDE!

Garth stared at the tabloid, brows pushed together in confusion. Maybe it was concern? Raven was usually better at being able to read other's emotions. Perhaps with hers so on edge, reading others was too daunting a task.

"Why would the Jump City Journal report shit like this?" Garth asked, a slight growl in his voice; the cuss word sounded foreign coming from his usually pure mouth. "I thought they were a reputable newspaper. I wouldn't line Speedy's birdcage with garbage like this…" Garth turned his eyes to his allies, expecting a similar appearance of annoyance or disgust.

He was not expecting to be met with Raven's large, terrified purple irises, surrounded by glistening, pale skin; or Robin's reluctant scowl and downcast eyes. He was not expecting the wide eyed frozen statues of their teammates throughout the room.

Garth let out a humorless laugh. "C'mon guys, tell me this is bullshit... T-Tell me that you guys are going to go after them for slander or something…" His hands constricted around the tabloid, shaking with the crushing energy.

Beastboy stepped forward, desperate to try and defuse the situation. He opened his mouth to speak, to tell Garth the lies he seemed so desperate to hear. Raven sighed before holding her hand up, signaling Beastboy to stop.

She couldn't have him lie for her.

She couldn't pretend that she could cover this up any longer, not with the entire city talking about it.

Not with her team falling apart.

"We can't really hinder the newspaper from reporting the truth, Garth….Even a sensationalized version of it." Her slow, even toned words almost did not register in Garth's mind. Bumblebee covered her mouth with her hand, leaning against Cyborg in shock. Speedy sat down on the OPPS Room steps, losing his footing. Mas and Menos gave each other frantic looks.

Garth shook his head.

"I don't understand...How...How could you let something like that happen to you?"

A heartbeat. A blink.

"You said...it happens to the best of us…" Raven started slowly, not expecting this reaction.

"No, getting your ass kicked happens to the best of us...This… I don't understand how this could happen to anyone."

Bumblebee leaned forward on the kitchen island, eyebrows furrowed in anger.

"Aqualad, it literally happens to people all the time. You know that. Don't you remember how many serial rapists we've had to track down at home?" Garth shook his head, placing his hand over his forehead.

"That's different. Those were normal women; women without powers and can't fight back. Raven is way too strong to be raped like that. There is no way she would just let that happen!'

Robin lunged forward with a start. "Let that happen?!" He growled.

"Dude, no one just lets that kind of stuff happen!" Beastboy chimed in, grabbing Aqualad by the shoulder to get his attention. Garth shrugged off Beastboy's hand.

"Look, all I'm saying is that I have a hard time believing she was completely helpless. C'mon everyone! You can't honestly believe she couldn't have tried to stop him or get away or something?"

"Are you trying to say this is her fault or something?!" Bumblebee challenged, her voice escalating.

"I mean you can't pretend that she isn't at least partially at fault here…"

The teammates continued to bicker back and forth, challenging each other and projecting their voices above one another.

Raven felt like she was underwater. All of the voices drowned out like they were miles away. The floor swayed under her feet, the walls shifting around her and the faces of her teammates melting together.

Garth was right. She knew he was right...but did he have to be so cruel about it?

The voices went silent; Raven could suddenly hear nothing but a foreign, erratic heartbeat in her ears.

Hot liquid rose from her stomach to her throat. She lunged towards the kitchen trash, hurling what little remained in her stomach before collapsing under her own feet.

He was right; she was too weak.