Noel (my friend's golden lab) is staying with me for a week while Mya is in Colorado, so understand, I'm going to be a little distracted. Does that mean I won't update? Hell no. I just might not have one out ever other day. (Yeah, I know - like you ever did?)

So, while she comes over here and abuses my hand, let's get this thing going.

Haha, that sounded wrong.

Sorry.

The Right Choice

♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠

Raven awoke to the middle third of her body on fire.

The healing had come along quite nicely over night - it was only half as deep and two thirds of its previous length - but it hurt like hell, and this time she didn't have the adrenaline frolm panic or fog of sleep to help drown it out. Never the less, she couldn't quite bring herself to move, or even think about why she hurt - she was so comfortable. Since when was Gar so muscular? Ususally he was on the thin side, and-

Oh, God. It isn't Gar. She froze, memories of yesterday flooding back - unwanted - into her brain. Two long, semi-tan arms were woven around her, hard and well-shaped but not bulky. His chest was well-defined and, damn it all, she couldn't help but be turned on, pressed up against it as she was. He had abs worthy of a boxer-model, and Raven somehow doubted there was even a centimeter of fat on them. She resisted the urge to run her hands over them.

I'm married. I'm married and this bastard is using me and my son for his own pleasure. She ran it through her head like a prayer, clinging to it even as her brain soaked up Richard's scent. She twisted and tried to pull away, ignoring the burning that assaulted her torso. Richard yawned and, for a moment, pulled her in closer before his eyes shot open and he let her go.

He sat upright stiffly, and Raven struggled to do the same. Eyes fogged with sleep, he stared at her, slighly confused as he grabbed her arms and gently helped her into a sitting position. "You okay?" he mumbled, yawning.

Raven opened her mouth to make a snide remark, but found she couldn't. In this early-morning phase, Richard seemed soft, vulnerable, and... cute?

So, instead, she nodded. "Yeah," she murmured.

He eyed her oddly, running a hand through his hair. Finally, he sighed, flustered. "How's your side?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Hurts like hell," Raven replied flatly. He winced, and she sighed. "Nothing I can't handle. Thanks for the... um... shirt."

"Yeah. No problem." An awkward silence filled the room. "You should really see a doctor, you know," he continued softly. "If that thing gets infected... Your body won't heal that."

"I'll be fine," she replied, half-shrugging.

"If something happened, though, what about Caden?"

"That's my responsibility."

Another pause, this one tense enough to cut through with a knife.

"I really do care for you, you know," he told her quietly. Raven opened her mouth, but he held up his hand, cutting her off. "Don't. Please. Just let me talk, okay?"

Raven hesitated, then nodded.

"I can't make up an excuse for leaving four years ago. I can say, though, that I thought I was doing the right thing. I was trying to get him as far away from the two of you and I could. It terrified me that he could come in and hurt you while I was distracted... With a new baby, we couldn't always be on our toes. I would rather have had you two out of the line of fire than be with you myself. Yeah, it sounds terrible, but that's just the way it is. Just because I came to Jump to get after Slade doesn't mean it wasn't exactly what I've wanted to do every day for the past four years. I'd make the decision all over again, given the option... Whether I was here or whether I wasn't, I kept him away. I don't want to know what would have happened - or even if anything would have - if I didn't.

"That doesn't mean, though, that I would turn around and leave again. Slade's here - this is probably my best chance at him, any way. And if it isn't... Well, if he's not here, it doesn't matter. Don't shut me out, Rae. I'm not Gar and it's going to be hard, and Caden probably won't like it much... But it would work out. He deserves to know who I am. He deserves his real father. And Gar deserves someone who will love him back. You can't do that. He's a big boy, Raven, and he can handle the truth."

For the course of several absolutely silent minutes, all she did was stare at him. Her breathing was slow and soft, she rarely blinked, and her eyes and posture never wavered, even when her neck ached and her side heated.

Finally, she murmured, "On one condition." His heart soared, and yet paranoia wouldn't let him celebrate yet. "You have to tell them. This is completely your decision. If they ask me, I'll agree with it, but you have to be the one to explain it to Caden and then tell Garfield that you're taking his wife."

Richard nodded and answered swiftly. "I will. God, I will. Thank you. I - You - I love you. It's not an excuse, but..." He trailed off, shaking his head and crushing her against his chest. She yelped softly and he grimaced, releasing her.

"Sorry," he muttered. She nodded, eyes drifting over to Caden.

"Where are we going?"

"What do you mean?" Richard's brows drew together as he asked.

"Where are we going? Right now."

He frowned and then scowled. "I don't know. Slade's in the city... I think... I think we should leave. For a little while. You have to heal." His voice tightened over his last statement. "Then we kick his ass."

♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠

All-righty then. Kind of short, I think, but that seemed like a good stopping point. You know what to do!

Thanks,

Tears of Insanity