Author's Note: Ha! My evil soul is back! You thought that last one was big! Well, I did, but then I sat down and wrote this one! And I didn't even get through everything I was hoping to!I just feel so bad about leaving all of you hanging for such long periods of time. I've probably lost readers because of it. Stupid Kilarra! whacks self on head Any who, I'd just like to say, thank you to all of you amazing people who have stayed with me even when I was a bit of a slacker and didn't update when I was supposed to, your patience is Saint-like! And thank you to all those who have endured my typos, your patience is also Saint-like! I have asked someone to be my 'Beta Reader' (remarkable creation) so with any luck, we can start cutting down on those little slip-ups. If she/he consents, I'll repost this chapter once it has been typo-checked. But for now I just want to get something up. Also, I have made an important discovery! During the week long choir concert, the week before finals (which I like to call mini-finals week since half the teachers decide to start finals early and the other half decide to give out unit tests) and finals week, my little muse gets knocked into a coma. Very tragic, I do not wish this experience on anybody. Then, for the first few days of summer, I slip into a bit of a vegetative state myself. But the good news is that I have pulled myself together and my Muse has woken up with a vengeance, which has led to the creation of this mammoth chapter! So read and enjoy! And review, you know I'm always looking for stuff to work on! Plus, you comments make me feel warm and fuzzy inside! Oh, and by the way, I'm going to be in Japan for the next two weeks, so those aren't my fault.

P.S. CrzYmAn676, I have tried to add in some more humor into this chapter in the form of opening dialog, though it does end on a bit of a serious note. Tell me if I succeeded.

Disclaimer: Je ne owne rien! (My French isn't actually this bad, I've been studying for four years. But this way, even people who don't speak or read the language can understand that I'm saying that I don't own anything! See, that was me being clever.)

"But Robin," Beast Boy wined, dropping to his knee, grasping Robins cape pathetically. He had been in this position, or something similar for about half an hour now, but Robin wasn't budging. He was standing with his back to the begging boy, attempting not to humiliate Beast Boy or himself any more than was necessary. His arms were folded sternly across his chest, his face set in stone.

"No," he said flatly for about the hundredth time, refusing to make eye contact.

"But Robin!" Beast Boy's voice rose half an octave, an impressive feat under any circumstances, as he slumped forward. They were just behind the couch, having migrated there after Cyborg had complained about not being able to see the TV screen. Of course, he wasn't watching anyway, finding the scene before him much more interesting than any soap opera or action flick that would have been showing anyway. His face was torn between suppressed laughter at just how ridiculous his friends looked, and a thoughtful expression indicating the internal debate on whether or not to intervene on Beast Boy's behalf. God knew Starfire was... then again, Starfire's odds of getting her insides rearranged by Robin were considerably lower than Cyborg's. Besides, Robin kinda had a point.

"Friend Robin, please listen," implored Starfire, floating just in front of Robin's face, her chilled breath tickling his nose. "Friend Beast Boy has been doing the 'sitting out' for a very long time. Is it not reasonable to allow him to return now?"

"Yeah! Come on! I'm getting fat!"

"Go to the training room."

"Rooooooooooobiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnn!"

"Friend Robin, what plausible reason is there for keeping him here? It is true, one may go to the place of the 'work out' if one is gaining the weight, but it is terribly dull to do the same thing over and over and over-"

"What she said!"

"Starfire, I understand where you're coming from-"

"What about me?"

"Fine, Starfire and Beast Boy, I understand where you both are coming from, but your forgetting one little thing."

"I told you! We were out of tofu! What kind of vegan would I be if I hadn't at least tried to go restock?"

"You forgot your wallet."

"I- Hey! How would you know that?" The Titans were skillfully avoiding eye contact at this point, each one with a guilty sign hung around their necks. "You searched my room?!"Beast Boy pushed himself to his feet indignantly. He was pouting, frustrated.

"Friend Beast Boy, you weren't there and we were worried."

"Dudes! That is so not cool! I can't believe you would do that to me!"

"Hey man, would you have preferred we sound the alarm and searched the city and ocean?"

"Yeah! 'Cause then you would have found me buying tofu!" A headache was throbbing at Robins temples and he reached up to rub it away. Starfire was beginning to bob up and down nervously. Cyborg had elected to stay on the couch and just continue to shout across the room.

"Without your wallet?"

"The guy owed me. Besides, you're the ones who searched my room!"

"Well, we had to check and see if you were there."

"Dude, do you remember what happened the last time you tried that?"

"We did apologize for seeing you in the bath tub. It was an unfortunate misunderstanding."

"What if I had been changing again? Are you guy's, like, trying to see me naked or something? Is there, like, this new green dude craze I don't know about?"

"Don't be disgusting."

"Don't change the subject, Beast Boy!"

"Look, we get back, find Raven scrubbing the fridge like a mad woman and mumbling about how much of an idiot you are, the windows cracked, and the remote levitating. So we go to see if you're still alive and maybe to find out what happened-"

"That's private!"

"Ohh! Did something good happen between you and friend Raven? Like the good things that happen between Robin and myself?"

"Star, if it was good, then why would Raven have been calling me an idiot?"

"Whatever, so we go to see if you're still alive and find an empty room. Now after everything that's happened lately what were we supposed to think?"

"I don't know! But you weren't supposed to go around snooping in my private personal space!"

"Have you looked at your room lately? You could have been hiding under all of that crap. You're lucky we didn't step on you!"

"Point being, Beast Boy, that you weren't in the room."

"Because I was buying tofu!"

"From the guy who owed you."

"Yes!"

"What guy?"

"I don't remember what guy, I was a little upset at the time!"

"What did Raven do to you any ways?"

"I told you guys, that's private! If you want to know, ask her!"

"Please come back and sit down, friend Cyborg."

"Why?"

"Because I do not believe that is a wise thing to do, Raven is very upset right now."

"She's upset!"

"What did you say to her?"

"It's private!"

"Where did you get the tofu from?"

"I wasn't paying attention!"

"So you just magically went to a guy that you don't know who works at a place you don't know but he owes you?"

"Dude they all owe me!"

"Where's the tofu?"

"I ate it. Why do you care so much?"

"I'd rather not talk about it."

"Rob, that's not being fair. The little dude deserves to know why you're being so hard on him."

"She told us not to mention it."

"Who told you?"

"He does deserve to know."

"Know what?"

"Raven told us that you had a fight-"

"That was private!"

"She didn't tell us what it was about or any details, just that she's worried about you and didn't think it was safe for you to be out yet."

"Whatever, she's just mad at me."

"Come to think of it, I'm not entirely sure that's what she said."

"I believe her exact words were 'I don't care where he is, probably flirting with his fish girl again' if I am remembering correctly."

"I'd say that's a pretty clear way of saying 'I think Beast Boy may have left the Tower.'"

"Yeah, I'm sure that's exactly what she meant."

"Point being that she told us not to mention that particular comment to Beast Boy."

"Dude, I can't believe she would say some thing like that about me. I mean, I can, but... fish girl? That's just low."

"She was just frustrated. You know as well as anyone that she's worried sick."

"Yeah, that's the phrase, 'worried sick'."

"Don't be so cynical B, we're all worried." Starfire nodded enthusiastically.

"That's why we've decided that you should sit out just a few more missions until we're sure you're back to your old self."

"Hey, don't go dragging me into this! I'm with the grass stain on this one."

"Robin, who is this 'we' you speak of? I did not partake in the making of this decision and neither, apparently, did friend Cyborg."

"Me and Raven."

"I was expecting something like this from Raven, she hates me."

"She doesn't hate you, B, don't go over exaggerating. There may be a few times when she gets a little annoyed, but hate?" Beast Boy just continued talking, completely ignoring his bionic friend. Cyborg frowned, aggravated.

"But you, Robin? Can't you see, I am my old self! Why won't you just listen to me!?"

"Beast Boy, it's just a few more missions-"

"Yeah, then it'll be a few more, then a few more." When one tactic stops working, it's time to switch tactics. With a grave expression, Beast Boy pulled his arms down from the overly dramatic position they had previously occupied. "If you don't want me in the field, the why don't you just kick me off the Team?"

"That was low."

"Friend Beast Boy, you must know none of us feel that way!" Beast Boy was furious, his hands balled into fists, his eyes burning, his jaw tense. He looked, tall, imposing, threatening. He looked... frightening, not like the Beast Boy they knew. But it was still Beast Boy

"We're just concerned, that's all."

"If you're so concerned, the why won't you just give me a chance! I can still fight, I can still be useful! I'm not going to go rogue on you, I'm not going to just go randomly jumping into oceans and off cliffs, I'm not going to switch sides in the middle of a battle because some pretty voice told me so! I'm not crazy! I'm FINE! I'm ME! Why won't you believe me?!" He was fuming, angry beyond reason, as he had been when he had made up his mind to finally go after Terra. Had he met Slade at that moment, there was little doubt in any of the Titan's minds that he would have been able to hold his own easily. Robin turned, finally meeting his livid gaze with his own icy, calculating one. There was a silence, a tense, charged silence that sounded ten times louder than the yelling before, and ten times more dangerous. There were two things that could have happened, a) the situation could have been resolved or b) the fight could have come to blows. Robin narrowed his eyes, choosing his next words carefully.

"Why are you getting so upset over this?" Beast Boy looked shocked at first, like Robin had, in fact just hit him. Then his jaw set and his frown deepened, as though the answer was obvious as a neon sign.

"Because I'm sick of being treated like I'm some kind of traitor," he answered quietly. "Sure, I was acting kinda weird there for a bit, but I'm OK now, I'm not made of glass. I know it was probably pretty strange there for a while, but I've been through worse, you guys know that. I'm not crazy, not possessed, not impaired in any way. It's just so... frustrating, to know that, despite all of this, you still think you need to keep me in a padded room. Just, give me a chance, that's all I'm asking for." This silence was heavier than the last. Not necessarily more foreboding, or more tense, or worse in any way. Just... heavy. Starfire landed at Robin's side, placing her hand on his shoulder. Cyborg scrutinized his friends, checking their vitals with one eye and their faces with the other. Robin stared at Beast Boy in very much the same way a teacher evaluates his students before handing out a particularly difficult and important exam.

On one hand Beast Boy was right, he didn't deserve to be locked up and judged. He had given him no reason to doubt his loyalties of capabilities or even his sanity lately. Yes, he had gone for a bit of an odd, midnight swim and scared the crap out of the whole Team, but that had been weeks ago. Could he take the risk of loosing Beast Boy's trust and friendship over suspicion? Truthfully, all he had was Raven's word that Beast Boy had been acting strangely recently. But shouldn't that be enough? On the other hand, there were the zillions of warning bells that just hadn't quieted since the warehouse incident. There was Raven, who didn't have a history of lying or being wrong and Beast Boy who, well, did. Never for malicious reasons, but if it got him what he needed, then Beast Boy would say anything. And there was the safety of the city to consider. Could he risk Jump on the words of a changeling who was obeying voices in his head? Could he take the chance that Beast Boy was lying now and leave his charges at the mercy of a rogue Titan?

Then there was Beast Boy himself. His arms were limp at his sides, his eyes gazing boldly at him, his face ridged. He had laid his soul bare for the world to see, had said what he felt. No tricks. He had made his case, now it was out of his hands. In that moment, he looked like an angry child, fragile, weak, tiny, like one little word would shatter him, snap his will in two. He looked as though one little word would send him through the roof, return the youthful brilliance to his eyes, the buoyancy to his stance, the vibrancy to his voice. He looked like Robin had the power to send him to the graveyard or return his wings. He looked like Beast Boy, but there was still something... off about him, like he wasn't quite who he used to be. He was volatile, that wasn't knew, but to this extreme? There could still have been something wrong with him, but it could have been Robin over analyzing or making stuff up just as easily. He didn't know. What was he supposed to say?! How could he find a way to win in this situation? The silence thickened, pressing in around them, almost darkening their vision with its intensity. Then it was shattered. Alarms blared, stunningly loud, red lights flashed, their brightness almost painful. Beast Boy blinked, covering his ears. Robin took one little glance at the screen to see the location of the attack and dashed to the door, disparate to postpone the decision. Starfire and Cyborg followed silently, trying not to look at the livid expression on Beast Boy's face. As the doors slid open, Robin paused.

"Tell Raven she's on observation for this one," He said without looking back. Beast Boy growled audibly, causing him to pause again. "We'll call you if we need you." And with that he sped to the garage, letting the doors slide back into place. Beast Boy crumpled to the floor, tears of frustration welling in his eyes.

"Damn," he cursed, slamming his fist into the carpeted floor. All his begging, his pleading, his yelling, it had been for nothing. He was still stuck on the sidelines, still obsolete. At this rate he really was going to get fat. He hit the ground again. He had made a total idiot out of himself and for what? So that Robin could just say 'thanks but no thanks' and ditch him? What had he done to deserve this? He was fine! He felt great, he felt like the Energizer Bunny, he felt like he could take on the world! But no, that didn't matter. None of it mattered. One little screw up and your out for life! And again. Caged like some kind of rabid animal, fated never to be free again! There was a sharp, slicing pain as his knuckles split. Warm blood swelled to the surface, seeping into his glove and cooling uncomfortably. He yelped, grabbing his hand and squeezing his eyes closed. Fools, didn't they realize he didn't deserve this? Didn't they realize he had somewhere he needed to be? Didn't they know he had something he needed to do? Someone depending on him, someone who needed him? His breath caught in his throat, causing him to choke quietly, a satin humming flowing across his ears. That's right, he had someone who needed him, someone he had promised to help. Zinara. She was counting on him, to get back what they stole, to free her from her prison. She had chosen him, over all the Robins and Ravens out there, picked him to be her deliverer. She needed him like no one had ever needed him before. He couldn't let a simple thing like Robin's disapproval stand between him and her salvation.

He squeezed his hand, a grin not quite his own twisting his lips, the humming opening into a wordless melody. True, he was stuck in the Tower, to leave would land him in a rather hot seat with Robin and raise a bit of a suspicious flag above his head. But that didn't steal all of his control over the situation. Far from it, actually, Robin had given him an extra set of cards; he had said that he'd call if they needed him. Well, they were going to need him. More than that, they were going to want him. After all, the seeds of guilt were already taking root inside of Robin, it wouldn't take anything more than the slightest encouragement from Starfire or Cyborg to get him to make that call, and then Garfield would have his opening, his excuse, his alibi. It would be simple, far easier than he could have hoped. Best case scenario, Robin would have buckled and agreed to let him on the next mission, and then he'd send out Adonis, but the likelihood of that happening was low to begin with. No all things considered, he was in a pretty good situation, his pieces were all in place, each step of the trap just waiting to be triggered, his messengers awaiting his signal. Garfield wasn't the idiot he pretended to be; he listened to Robin's strategic lectures, encouraged Cyborg's technical rants, he even watched the news. Anyone who had payed any attention to his more technical pranks would know that, but most of the Titans were too busy avoiding them or scolding him to admire their simple, ingenious design. And it was just amazing how quickly one could learn when the material was interesting. Yes, he knew what he was doing when it came to setting up an elaborate, or a basic, sequence of events. All it would take to get him from point A to point B was a little press of a button on his communicator. Hacking and rewiring things to do what he wanted (mostly go boom, he was a male teen, after all) was interesting. On his last little visit to Adonis' cell, he had created a little rat maze, a clear path from his cell to the exit and straight on to Jump's core, for his rather fondly dubbed 'wind-up-mouse' under the pretense of checking the security systems for the Titans. Granted, there was no such check up scheduled, and even if there had been, the green changeling was certainly the last person anyone would have expected to see working on a computer system, but that was explained away easily enough, after all, nobody wants an angry Cyborg on their case for delaying an essential check up because they thought his best friend was too incompetent to handle anything above a children's play set. That had taken some time, what with the warden throwing him suspicious looks from the doorway every minute-and-a-half, but it was done and half a calorie away from reality. Garfield pushed himself up, grinning, his eyes the most emerald shade of yellow-green. Now was the ideal time to set things in motion, the perfect moment.

Slowly, he reached for the communicator at his belt, his eyes luminous. 'But wait,' whispered a little voice in the back of his mind. He froze, his hand going ridged a centimeter away from the device. 'This is wrong. I'm a Titan, I shouldn't be doing this.' Garfield frowned, irritated. This was a rather inopportune moment to be developing a conscience. 'I've always had a conscience. That's how I know that this is over the top.' He ran his fingers through his hair, as if he could some how pull out the voice along with a few loose strands. "It's too late for that," he muttered to himself. "To turn around now would be just as immoral as to keep moving. Besides, she needs me, I made a promise. I can't go back now." The voice seemed reluctant, but it fell silent none the less. For a moment, he just stood there with his hand in his hair, letting the song sooth away his mild headache. Then his smirk spread and he continued to reach for the trigger. There was nothing in his way, nothing but-

"Beast Boy, what's going on?" Her harsh voice sliced through the air like a chainsaw through warm butter. Abruptly, and rather painfully, the song ceased, leaving nothing but the faintest echo. He started, his grin falling, his eyes returning to their forest color.

"Nothing you need to worry about," he answered as coolly as he could, not looking at her. "Robin says your on babysitting detail for this one too." He felt dizzy, disoriented, black spots flashing across his vision briefly as he reached out to grasp the couch for support.

"Not again," she muttered to herself, an odd note in her voice. Beast Boy stared at her, curious. There was Raven, looking just like Raven, her cloak draped around her shoulders, hood down, hair groomed but not styled, sounding like Raven, annoyed and cold, even smelling like Raven. Her lilac sent tickled his nose affectionately, her violet eyes daring him to find what was off. "Robin must just enjoy putting us together," she rationalized, not looking at him directly. That was it! It was Raven all right, and she was feeling... awkward. Around him. That was right, they'd had a fight, a fight she hadn't necessarily won. He was mad at her. Frowning, he turned his back to her, hiding his hand from view.

"I don't know what you did to make him mad," he said in his best scathing voice. "But I don't think you're going to see any action until I do."

"Don't be ridiculous, they just all left before I came out and decided not to waste time waiting for me." Her voice was its usual monotone, cold and painfully logical. He winced at the sound, immediately regretting his words. He didn't want to waste this moment arguing with her the way he had. They didn't have mush time left before... before... Raven paid no attention to his silence, instead electing to go brew herself a mug of herbal tea.

"That's something I've been haring a lot lately," he said absently, a small part of him hoping she would continue talking to him. He missed their light banter, he needed that banter, that last wisp of normalcy.

"What is," she asked, more of a mechanical response than any form of curiosity.

"Don't," he said simply, his gaze moving to his hand. Odd, it looked terrible, black and mangled, but it didn't seem to hurt. That's not entirely accurate, it hurt, just not as much as another wounded part of him. Why, he couldn't say, but he felt like a pile of misery had landed on him the second Raven walked through the door. Like something big was about to happen, something that would change things forever. Like in a matter of days, he would loose her. "Don't be like this, don't be like that, all day. It's getting... annoying."

"Well, then stop." Blunt, harsh, but there was some feeling behind the words, something she wasn't saying. Beast Boy stared at her back, blinking in confusion.

"Stop what? Being an idiot? Sorry, no can do Rae. You should know that." A small smile graced his lips, some of the heavy air thinning. Perhaps something was about to happen, but he didn't need to worry about that now. Things were so much nicer when you could just forget; forget your fears, your worries, your tasks, and just let the scene unfold without any preparation. Forget the person you were a moment ago... forget that it was bothering you.

"That's not what I was referring to," she sighed, a playful sharpness creeping into her voice. Beast Boy grinned, amused by her tone and the narrow-eyed expression she was throwing him over her shoulder. "I meant stop trying to be someone you're not."

"Someone I'm not," Beast Boy repeated slowly, his brow wrinkling. "What's that supposed to mean?" Raven frowned, not sure how to answer. Would 'You are Beast Boy' be too obvious? Or would it be too incomplete? "So far its been disgusting, cynical, and ridiculous. I'm all of those things anyway, so how am I not being myself," he muttered, listing the incidents on his fingers and staring at the ceiling. "I mean, being someone else. Or wait, what? Dude, how does that even make any sense? Ah, my brain hurts." Beast Boy grabbed his head, letting his hands run down his face dramatically. His fingers caught the skin, contorting his eyes and lips. Raven frowned, turning to face him, her eyes exasperated.

"Beast Boy," she snapped, cutting off his antics. Beast Boy dropped his hands, giving her a poutie face as she crossed to the couch, grasping her burning mug. "First off, you're not disgusting. You get incredibly close on a regular basis, as a matter of fact, you almost cross that line at least once a day." Beast Boy crossed his arms, a look of mock offense on his face.

"So then you're saying that I am disgusting?"

"Trust me, Beast Boy, I've seen disgusting, and you're not it."

"But I'm close, right?"

"Secondly," Raven continued, ignoring his comment and sipping her tea. "You're not cynical. You're about the least cynical person I've met."

"What about Starfire?"

"Have you ever heard her when she thinks Robin may like someone else?"

"Good point. Fine, but that still leaves ridiculous. And you're the one who called me that."

"In response to your comment about my doing something to make Robin angry," she shot back, setting her mug down on the table and folding her arms. "That was ridiculous." Beast Boy snorted, pointedly looking away from her. "You, however, are not. There are moments when you do get very close, but I've usually kept you from going overboard."

"Is that what you're doing when you toss me across the room," he teased, grinning brightly.

"It works doesn't it," she shot back, a smile shining in her eyes.

"Yeah, maybe it works, but it also hurts. Hey, that rhymed," Beast Boy cried gleefully, throwing his hands to either side of him like he was preparing to do some sort of dance. Instead, he just banged his hand against the couch. A sharp pain shot up his arm and his hand began to throb. He gasped in surprise, grabbing it instinctively.

"What is it," Raven asked, cloaked concern in her voice as she moved over to him.

"It's noting," he insisted, trying to pull away from her. She ignored his attempts, grabbing his hand and tugging the glove off. It wasn't particularly serious as far as the actual injury went, but it looked bad. Blood had ceased to ooze, but it was smeared all over the green skin, tinting it a sickly brown. "I just banged myself is all." Raven held it softly, throwing him a skeptical look.

"I'm sure that's exactly what happened," she said sarcastically, her hands glowing blue as she began to heal the wound.

"Soooooo," Said Beast Boy, taking advantage of her silence to restart the conversation. "If I'm not ridiculous, then what am I?"

"Excuse me?"

"Come on, it's a fair question. Besides, after all the insults I've gotten from you, I think I deserve at least one complement."

"I've complemented you before," she argued, frowning. He smirked at her, pleased by her evasion. "Besides, what makes you think I'm going to complement you now?"

"Simple, you're going to call me something not ridiculous!"

"Idiot."

"Now, Rae, play nice."

"Fine, you're not ridiculous."

"I'm..."

"You're... comic."

"Really," Beast Boy asked enthusiastically, grabbing her hand as she withdrew it. "You mean that?"

"No, Beast Boy, I just said it to get you off my back."

"You really mean it! Gosh, Rae, I don't know what to say!"

"How about 'apology accepted'." Raven withdrew her hand from Beast Boy's grasp and turned to her tea, sitting down on the couch.

"Apology," inquired Beast Boy, leaning over the back so his head was next to hers. "For what?"

"Last time we spoke, you weren't exactly pleased with me," she responded bluntly, not looking at him. "I assumed you'd want an apology."

"What would make you think that?"

"Hmmm, maybe the small fact that you haven't so much as looked at me for the two days since our fight?"

"Rae, we fight all the time. It's not like that was any different. We just haven't had any reason to talk and I figured you would get mad at me if I brought it up."

"What's wrong with you, of course it was different." Beast Boy jerked back, surprised by this response. "It was more then a minor misunderstanding or a playful skirmish. Something happened between us, so why are you pretending that it didn't?"

"Well yeah, it happened, but it wasn't like it was a big deal or anything."

"Stop denying-"

"I'm not denying anything!" Raven turned her head sharply, staring right at him with those piercing violet eyes. Beast Boy retreated to the kitchen; she didn't follow, remembering all too vividly what had happened the last time she had chased him. She just starred forward, her eyes on the darkening sky. "Look, so maybe it got a little out of hand and we both ended up saying some stuff that we wish we hadn't, but let's just let it go now."

"Like your suggestion that I should take the next few missions off?"

"Raven, drop it." He wasn't really doing anything in the kitchen, just standing there. Deep down, a part of him felt like an idiot, but he didn't want to be near Raven, not when she was so insistent on discussing things that didn't matter, anyway.

"Is that the real reason why I'm here? Did you take that little suggestion to Robin," she baited, still refusing to even look at him. This was her field, and she was in control.

"You're the one who went talking to Robin! What did you say, that I might be off visiting my Siren, no, not Siren. What was the term you used, fish-girl?" Raven gritted her teeth, scowling. "Seems to me like you're the one who was plotting to keep me locked up in here! Real mature there Rae, I'm proud."

"That's not how I meant it," she snapped twisting around to face him, her face livid. "You're putting words in my mouth!" Beast Boy looked ready to return fire, but when he opened his mouth, all that exited was a choking noise. His eyes widened, his body tensing as he grasped the counter for support. "Beast Boy," she called, but he didn't hear her. The singing had returned with a vengeance, an annoyed, wrathful melody directed right at Raven. He yelped as pain exploded right beneath his ears, grabbing his head and falling to his knees. "Garfield!"

'We don't have time for this,' hissed a voice in his mind, its volume raising above the song. 'Get rid of the girl and press the button! She's waiting.' He couldn't hear, couldn't see; he was falling, falling into a dark place. The voice was overwhelming, he didn't know if he could fight it. Then there was a hand on his shoulder, tugging him back to reality. The song began to quiet reluctantly, the pain to lessen, but he couldn't relax. The voice was still there, and he still wanted control.

"Garfield!" A new voice was calling him from a long ways away. He reached out to that voice, clinging to it like a raft. The hand on his shoulder left and was replaced by another pair positioned over his hands. Something warm was before him, the smell of lilac overpowering his nostrils, the familiarity of this new voice maddening."Garfield, Beast Boy, what's wrong?"

"Raven," he breathed, finally recognizing his savior. The song stopped, silencing the voice along with it, leaving only the slightest echo in the depths of his mind. He slumped forward onto her chest, his breath uneven. 'Raven, what's going on,' he thought at her heart beat pounded in his ear.

"Beast Boy," she said softly but urgently, her arms around him, comforting him. "What was that?"

"I don't know," he said instinctively, closing his eyes and leaning into her. She pulled him off of her, holding him so she could look into his eyes. He refused to meet her gaze, his emerald eyes on the tile, their gaze unfocused.

"Beast Boy, look at me," she commanded. "Look at me!" Slowly, he obeyed, raising his eyes to meet hers. They were tired, and frightened, and confused, not the eyes she had come to know. "Where did you go after our fight?"

"To get tofu," he muttered quietly, trying to look away again. Her she grabbed his arms tightly, staring at him intently.

"Stop lying to me, Beast Boy." His eyes flicked up to meet hers briefly before returning to the tile. "Listen to me. Did you go to see the siren?" He bit his lip, still refusing to look at her. "Did you?"

"No," he shouted, squeezing his eyes shut. "No, I didn't go to see Zinara! Stop asking!"

"Zinara," Raven repeated, releasing him and standing up. Beast Boy leaned back against the cabinets, starring off into space. "Beast Boy, where did you go?"

"To get tofu," he repeated, but he still couldn't look her in the eye. Frustrated, she began to walk back to the door, intent on getting some type of truth serum or something similar. "Wait," he called after her, grabbing the hem of her cloak. As Raven withdrew, the voice and the song returned. He couldn't allow that.

"What? Do you want to answer my question now?"

"Raven, please, I can't."

"Let go." She began to tug at her cloak. Beast Boy stood up and faced her, only releasing the cloth when he was sure he could grasp her arms.

"Raven, please, try to understand," he pleaded, holding her gently. "I don't want to lie to you, please believe that, I don't want to."

"Then don't," she snapped, wiggling in his grasp.

"It's not that simple," he sighed.

"Like hell it isn't," she snarled.

"You don't understand," he shot back. Then his face softened, a look of regret coming into his eyes. "You don't know..."

"Well, gosh Sherlock," she exclaimed scathingly. "Maybe that has something to do with you not telling me!" He looked at her pleadingly, his eyes large and pathetic, begging her to know what he couldn't say. He was being weak and vulnerable, a side of himself he didn't often show to the world, a side that she alone was allowed to see. "Garfield," she said softly, reaching up to brush a stray lock of wild green hair from his face. He leaned into her touch, savoring the moment. "What's happening?"

"Raven," he muttered, his eyes closing as he inhaled her scent.

"Let me help," she implored, gazing up at him. He took a deep breath, trying to keep his body relaxed and his mind focused.

"Rae, there's something going on you should know about, something big. I've done some stuff, some bad stuff and... I'm afraid it's only going to get worse."

"What are you talking about?"

"I never thought it would go this far, I didn't think I was even capable of half of it. But I guess I was, I did it, after all, and I'm going to do more." He wasn't looking at her, his emerald gaze was fixed on the left hem of her cloak, but his words were honest. "I can't stop, even when I try to, I just can't. It's like, there's another me, inside, and he refuses to let me stop or turn back... and I can't- won't, fight him."

"Beast Boy, you're scaring me," Raven said, her eyes wide. His expression contorted, his grip on her arms tightened,as though he was fighting some kind of pain, but he still kept talking.

"I made a promise, Raven, one I can't break. I started down this road and now I must follow it to the end, to Zinara's side. I know where I'm going and it's not that I hate going there, it's just... after today, everything will be different. But I'll promise you one thing. I won't hurt you, no matter what, I will never hurt you, and I won't let him hurt you either. I just, I need you to know that, what ever happens, whatever I do, I'm still here, still me."

"Beast Boy, stop it. What on Earth do you even mean? Why are you talking like this?"

"I have to go now, Raven." Her eyes widened in realization as his words sunk in. "I don't know if I can come back."

"No," she said flatly, straining against his hold. He gritted his teeth, squeezing his eyes shut, his body beginning to tremble.

'Not yet! I'm not done yet!'

'We don't have the time! Go NOW!'

"I won't let you go, I won't let this happen!"

"You can't stop it," he grunted.

"I'm going to save you from this!" His eyes shot open, glowing with a yellow energy. Raven gasped as these eyes were turned onto her, eyes burning with bitterness and rage and impatience. She was frozen, unable to move, to look away from those eyes. They weren't human, but neither were they inhuman, burning with the fire of wrath, but still pained, lonely, sad, the eyes of a lost child. Then the fire faded, leaving only Beast Boy. He looked at her tenderly, his hands moving up to cup her face.

"There's something I have to say," he whispered, his voice so quiet she could barely hear it. "I may never get another chance. Raven I-" She couldn't speak, and even if she could she wouldn't have known what to say. He tried again "I- I lo- Raven." He looked right at her, with those intense, jeweled eyes of his, sincere and innocent, and he pulled her face towards his.

"What are you-" She was cut off when his lips met hers. His emotions hit her like a warm wave: passion, desire, need, affection, regret, loneliness, love. It was no light hearted first kiss, but something much stronger, much bolder. After the shock had warn off, she tried to push him away, a feeling of awkwardness blooming inside of her. He just held her tighter, removing one hand and wrapping it around her waist, leaning her back. Her hands found his shoulders and grasped them tightly, which he took ans a sign of approval and encouragement to deepen the kiss. A blush rose in her face, her open eyes, annoyed; partly at his actions, and partly at the warm bubble that was expanding inside of her so similar to the feeling that had overwhelmed her when Malchior had taken her hand, or held he close, or ran his finger across her cheek. What was this? What was this feeling that was bubbling to the surface? Desperation, lust? Could it be?

Beast Boy released her, pulling back just far enough to look in her eyes. He smiled at her, a blush staining his cheeks. "I'm sorry," he murmured. He leaned in and, for a second she though he was going to kiss her again, but he just inhaled her scent. She looked at him, confused, her hand sliding beneath his chin, tilting his head up. Her gaze was met by a predatory yellow one, one with slitted pupils, one that didn't belong to Beast Boy in any form. "Sleep," a voice like a chorus of angels commanded. She felt herself getting dizzy as the world began to come in and out of focus. "Sleep." Her body went limp in Garfield's arms, pulling him to the floor. He shut her eyes affectionately, grinning slightly as his eyes returned to their luminous green, picking her up bridal style. She made no move or protest, simply lay against his chest, the unnatural sleep slowing her breath and cooling her body. He carried her over to the couch, laying her on the cushions delicately, as if she was nothing more durable than a porcelain doll and liable to break if he so much as breathed on her. Then he wrapped her cloak about her to keep her warm until she woke, pulled out his communicator, and pressed the button. While he waited for a response, he played with her hair fondly, noting its softness. If he ever got the chance, he would very much like to bury his face in it one day, or maybe use it as a pillow of some sort.

"Beast Boy, come in," came Robin's voice, a note of relief mixed with the urgency.

"Go ahead," he responded, pulling out the communicator and looking inquisitively at the Robin's face.

"We've just got word that Adonis has broken out and is headed for the museum. We could really use yours and Raven's help on this one."

"Raven's in some sort of weird trance thingy. I don't think it's a good idea to wake her up."

"Fine, then you come by yourself, and hurry!"

"Roger that, fearless leader," Garfield said, giving him a mock salute and a goofy grin. Robin gave him 'a look' before the feed went dead. He put the device away, smiling wickedly. "Well, Dearest," he laughed. "Now that I'm sure you'll be safe and sound, I can get this party started." He got up and headed for the door, blowing a kiss over his shoulder, his eyes yellow.