Day 11
Raven poured some water into a glass, and placed it on the tray next to the plate of tofu. She sighed as a single tear escaped her. She carried the tray down to the Medical Room, and knocked on the door. "Come in." BeastBoy said. Raven opened the door, and carried the tray in. "Brought you some breakfast." she said, setting the tray on the bed next to BeastBoy. "Thanks." BeastBoy whispered, staring off into space. "What's wrong?" Raven asked, picking up the glass of water. "Nothing. Just thinking about how little of a difference I've made in this world." BeastBoy said. Raven dropped the glass of water she was about to give him. "I don't ever want to hear you say that again." she said, her expression serious. "Why not? It's true. Sure, I've helped save people in town, but this is just one little town out of the whole world. I haven't really made a really big difference in anyone's life." BeastBoy said. "Stop it! That's not true! I can know for a fact that you've made a big difference in one person's life!" Raven said, preparing herself for what she was about to say. "Yeah? Who's that?" BeastBoy asked. "Me." Raven said, pointing to herself. "You may not know it, but my life would be a whole lot different without you. My life wouldn't be any fun without you! My life would be dull without you! And without you, I wouldn't have anyone to love!" Raven said. BeastBoy opened his eyes and looked at Raven. "Say that again?" he said. "You heard me. Without you, I would have nobody to love!" Raven said, blushing madly. BeastBoy said nothing, just stared at Raven. "You...like me?" he asked eventually. "Not like, love. I've held back from you for too long! It's time you know." Raven said, sitting on BeastBoy's bed. "Wow. I never thought you liked me, which sucked, because I like you too." BeastBoy said. Before he could do anything, Raven bent over and pressed her lips into his. She closed her eyes and felt something she'd never felt before. True happiness. Her cloak glowed brightly. BeastBoy weakly lifted his arm and put it around Raven. The light surrounding Raven's cloak faded, leaving her cloak a bright white. She pulled herself off of BeastBoy, smiling. "You don't know how long I've wanted to do that." she whispered. BeastBoy was blushed. "It all makes sense now. You've been by side for days on end, and falling asleep with me the other night. It's because of this." he said. "You're special. I need someone special." Raven said. BeastBoy coughed. "Ow." he said. "Listen, while you're still here, is there anything I can do to make your...uh..." Raven couldn't think of the right words to say. BeastBoy placed his hand on Raven's. "It's all right. I've accepted the fact that I won't be here a week from now. It makes a week feel like nothing. If you want to help, just keep me company until I go." BeastBoy said. Tears began trickling down Raven's face. "I don't want you to go. I want you to stay here with me." she whispered, beginning to cry. She lay down next to BeastBoy and cried into his shoulder. "Why did this have to happen to you? Why not someone else?" she sobbed. "It's okay." BeastBoy tried to position himself so he could hold Raven close to him. "Some things just happen. It's not up to us." he said, closing his eyes. Raven looked up at him with big, wet eyes. "I'll never find anyone else like you. I'll never love anyone but you. I'm going to die alone." she said, wiping her face. "Hey, don't talk like that. You'll find someone else. I'm just one guy, there's plenty others out there." BeastBoy said. "Yeah, but you're the only guy that would ever love a girl like me." Raven said, laying her head on BeastBoy's chest. "Let's keep this a secret." BeastBoy said. Raven sniffed. "Yes, it will be our secret. Forever." she said, getting up. "You know, it's too bad you waited until now to tell me." BeastBoy said. "I know. I wanted to tell you since the day I met you, but I was afraid. Afraid that the others wouldn't think I was good Titan material, and afraid that you wouldn't like me." Raven said. The Medical Room door opened, and Starfire came in. "BeastBoy, and Friend Raven! How are things?" she asked. "Things suck." Raven said, walking past Starfire towards the door. Starfire looked after her, and then turned her attention towards BeastBoy. "Are you in need of anything? Perhaps one of the cookies, or the entertainment?" she asked. BeastBoy smiled. "No Star, I'm fine. I might catch a few winks for now." he said. Starfire nodded, and walked towards the door, wondering how to catch winks. Or what a wink was, for that matter.
. . .
Raven sat on the couch, reading one of her favorite books. But she was finding it difficult to concentrate. She really only had one thing on her mind. BeastBoy. She sighed and set her book on the coffee table. Standing up, she walked to the window. Everyone outside is just fine, carrying on their normal lives, with no idea of what's going on in here. She thought. Suddenly filled with anger, she smashed her head against the window. CLONK! She rubbed her head, and walked towards her room. As she opened the door, she was reminded of the time her and BeastBoy had spent in her room. It was quite a while. And, it was the first time she'd ever allowed anyone in her room. She opened her window, and took in a deep breath of the salty ocean air. She suddenly wanted to get away from it all. The Tower, BeastBoy's cancer, and her feelings for him. She took off through the open window and glided around over the ocean, holding her hand out to briskly touch the water. She cleared her mind, and flew as fast as she could towards her favorite Gothic Cafe. Maybe she could find someone else in a situation like hers, and ask for advice. She swooped low into the city, following her usual route to the Cafe. When she arrived, she gently glided to the ground, and opened the door. She was immediately blasted with the heavy smell of perfume, drinks, food, and the sound of ghoul music playing loudly. She smiled. Just her style. She walked up to the counter, and was greeted by a boy in a black apron. He had multiple face piercings, black hair, and a scar on his cheek. He didn't look enthused to be there. "WelcometotheDarkStreetCafeMayIgetyouanything?" he rambled quickly. "I don't really care. Just hit me with something." Raven said. The boy sighed, and walked into the kitchen. Raven looked around, from the hanging black lights to the crosses on the wall. Finally, she could relax. The bartender returned with a glass full of a dark purple liquid. "Here. Enjoy." he said, walking away. Raven looked down at the glass. She picked it up, and took a sip. Wow! That's good! It tastes like apple cider and something else. She thought, taking another sip. She left the counter and sat on an old, torn up couch. As the now playing rock music played over the loud speaker, she realized it wasn't very busy. There were just one or two other people there besides her. The bartender boy came out onto the floor with a tray for another person. On his way across the floor, he tripped, and spilled the red drinks all over the floor. "Oh, for God's sakes! Stupid son of a..." Raven couldn't hear the rest of his muttering because he had gone to get a mop. Raven decided to help the guy out, and cleaned up the entire mess with a flick of her hand. When he came back out, he dropped the mop he had been carrying. "What the..." he looked down at the floor where the mess had been. It was spotless. He shrugged, and tossed the mop behind the counter. Raven smiled a little. She finished her drink, and set the empty glass on the counter. "That was really good, what was that?" she asked. "Dracula's Venom." the bartender replied. Raven nodded. "Cool." she turned and looked around. She spotted one of her acquaintances, Juan, at another table, looking at something on his phone. She walked over and sat across from him. "Hey Juan." Raven said. Juan flopped his long black hair out of his face. "What's up Rachel?" he asked, putting down his phone. Juan didn't know Raven was a Titan, so he didn't know her by anything but her real name. "Just stupid life. Someone close to me isn't going to be here much longer, and there's nothing I can do about it." Raven said. "That sucks. Like, moving away or what?" Juan asked. "In five days, he's going to be dead." Raven said, feeling sad. "Oh. That really sucks. Is there anything I can do?" Juan asked, twirling his black cross necklace in his hand. "Maybe some advice. How can I make his last days some of his best?" Raven asked. "Rachel, if there's one thing I know, it's how to send a dying person off well. Spend all the time you can with him. That's about all you can really do." Juan said. Raven nodded. "That's what I plan to do. I just wish I could stop it." she said. Juan shook his head. "That's how life works, whether he's like us or not." he said, standing up. "Well, I've got to go. See ya." Juan said, walking out the door. Raven sighed, and listened to the quiet eerie music slipping through the speakers. She stood up, and walked towards the ladies room. She swung open the wooden black door, and faced the purple shaded, poorly lit ladies room. She looked into the cracked mirror, smoothed her hair out, and splashed some water on her face. She heard the bathroom door open. Two girls wearing black makeup and black dresses walked in, chatting about something. Raven ignored them, and exited the restroom. She walked through the main room, and walked out the front door. Cold, night air blasted her in the face. She closed the rickety wooden door behind her, and looked at the sky. Heavy rainclouds threatened Jump City. Raven pulled her cloak tighter and hightailed it towards the tower.
. . .
When Raven arrived back at the tower, her mind was cleared. She walked into the living-room and took a deep breath. Robin was talking on the phone with someone. "So, this is stage two?" he asked. Raven heard garbled chattering from the other end. "Okay. I just wanted to make sure." Robin said, hanging up. He sighed. "BeastBoy has reached stage two of eight." he said. Raven's eyes widened. "What is it?" she asked. "BeastBoy's blood stream is weakening. His face has paled." Robin said. Raven sighed. "What else is new?" she muttered, feeling depressed again. She walked towards the medical room, and opened the door. BeastBoy opened his eyes at the sound of the door opening. "Hey Rave." he said quietly. Raven put her hand on BeastBoy's. "How are you doing?" she asked. "Been better. I'm weak and tired. My legs are fully paralyzed. How about you?" he said. Raven bent over and gave BeastBoy a small kiss on the cheek. His eye's widened. "Still not used to that." he said, smiling a little. "You will be eventually, after I'm through with you." Raven said. She looked at BeastBoy's face. He had indeed paled slightly. "So, stage two now, huh? What could stage three bring?" he asked, resting his hands on his stomach. "Don't talk like that. You'll be fine. You've got to be. For me." Raven said, forcing a smile. BeastBoy suddenly looked at her. "Do me a favor?" he asked, holding Raven's hand. "Of course." Raven said. "Stay here with me tonight. Just the two of us." BeastBoy said. Raven's face softened. "Anything you want." she said. "Do you know what it's like lying here sleepless at night, knowing you probably won't be here a week from now. I mean, what's the point of sleeping?" he asked. Raven's heart felt like it had cracked. "So you can gain energy for beating this illness." she said. BeastBoy smiled and shook his head. "I can't beat it Raven. I've accepted that, you should too. I can't win. It's over." he said. Raven tried to hold back tears. "Don't say that! You may have accepted it, but I can't!" she said, letting a few stray tears fall down her cheek. BeastBoy lifted his hand to Raven's face, and brushed the tears away. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you." he said. Raven clutched BeastBoy's hand like she was never going to let go. "I know. You're sweet like that." she said, giving him a gentle hug. She got some tissue and blew her nose. "So, where have you been?" BeastBoy asked. "Out on the town. I needed some alone time to clear my mind." Raven said. The computer hooked up to BeastBoy beeped, and some fluid began flowing down a tube connected to BeastBoy's arm. "What's that?" Raven asked. "Tranquilizer. It goes off every five hours or so I can sleep. I'll be out in five minutes." BeastBoy said. He rubbed his arm where the fluid had entered. "I'll be here when you wake up. I promise." Raven said. BeastBoy's eyes and almost closed, the tranquilizer taking effect. "Rachel." he whispered, before falling asleep. Raven stood there quietly. "Garfield."
. . .
BeastBoy and Raven walked along the beach in their swimsuits, picking up seashells, and tossing small rocks into the water. "I'm glad we could do this." BeastBoy said. Raven put her arm around him. "Me too. Just the two of us." she said, leaning her head against BeastBoy's shoulder. They continued down the shore until they got to an area they had never been to. BeastBoy pointed to a hole in the ground off to the side. "Check it out. Looks like a cave." he said, walking towards it. "Careful, you don't know what's inside." Raven warned. "I know, I'm being careful." BeastBoy said. He disappeared into the darkness of the cave. Raven waited for him to return. "Whoa!" BeastBoy's voice echoed out of the cave. "BeastBoy! Are you alright?" Raven called. There was a loud noise from inside the cave. BeastBoy appeared. "Check this out! I found it in the cave." BeastBoy said, holding a small chest. "Cool. What's in it?" Raven asked, curious. BeastBoy set the chest down on the sand. "We'll soon find out." he said. He turned the knob on the outside of the chest, and it creaked open. BOOM! The chest burst open, and darkness began shooting out in all directions. BeastBoy fell backwards onto the sand. "Raven!" he called. There was no reply. He looked around. Raven was gone. Suddenly, BeastBoy found a blade hovering just inches above his throat. "Hello BeastBoy. I've been waiting for you." said a dark, creepy voice. BeastBoy looked towards the voice, and his eyes opened wide. Death stared him in the face. A pitch black face, long black robe, and bladed staff at his throat, death hovered over BeastBoy threateningly. "Wh-What do you want?" BeastBoy asked, shaking in fear. "Your soul." Death said. The dark blackness of death pounced on him, and everything went black. A seething roar faded around.
BeastBoy jerked awake suddenly. Raven was startled, and dropped the book she was reading. "What?! What is it?" she asked. BeastBoy's entire body, except his legs, was shaking. Sweat poured down his face. "I-I..." he was at loss for words. Raven put her hands on BeastBoy's shoulders. BeastBoy flinched. "What happened?" Raven asked, staring directly at BeastBoy. "Ju-Just a dream." he stuttered. He tried to stop shaking. He looked at the clock on the wall. It was ten at night. BeastBoy broke down. Tears streamed down his face as the scary nightmare reeled through his mind. Raven sat on the bed and BeastBoy buried his face into her shoulder. She put her arms around him and tried to comfort him. "It's alright. You just had a bad dream. I'm right here." she said. She'd never tried to comfort someone before. It was weird. BeastBoy's tears eventually ceased, and he took some deep breaths. "I-I've never had a dream like that. Death stared me directly in the face. I've never been so scared, real or not." he whispered. Raven patted BeastBoy's shoulder. "It was just a dream. It's gone." she said. "No it's not. That's what I'm going to face soon. I'm scared Raven. I don't want to die." BeastBoy said, looking at Raven with his big, green eyes. Raven felt her insides melt. She gave BeastBoy a long embracing hug. "I don't want you to either." she said, resting her head on BeastBoy's shoulder as she hugged him. She could feel him shaking. I wonder what the dream was, to scare him so much? She wondered. She glanced at BeastBoy, who was staring off into space. "BeastBoy?" she asked. "What?" BeastBoy replied, looking at Raven. "This dream you had. What was it about? What happened?" she asked. BeastBoy sighed, and told her the scary part of the dream. "I called your name, but you weren't there anymore. That's when he appeared." BeastBoy finished. Raven's mouth was hanging open. "Even I've never had a dream like that." she said. BeastBoy shrugged. Raven looked suspicious about something. "What?" BeastBoy asked. "You can't walk, right?" she asked. BeastBoy shook his head. "You and I are going to the beach. I'll carry you. The description you gave of where we were was exact to the beach we both know, with the cave extension. I wonder if that cave actually exists." Raven said. BeastBoy's eyes opened wide. "You want to go see if the place where that happened exists? Are you crazy?" he asked. "No, I'm just curious. Let's go." she said, disconnecting the medical computer from BeastBoy. She placed her arms under BeastBoy, and picked him up. He's lost weight. A lot of weight. She thought, realizing it was easier to carry BeastBoy than it was a few days ago. She looked at the computer. Stage 3: Weight Loss. Raven swallowed. She opened the medical room door, and carried BeastBoy up to the roof. "Ready?" she asked, walking to the edge. BeastBoy nodded. Raven took off into the air, and flew in the direction of the beach. She could see the giant amusement park Ferris Wheel from the air.
. . .
Raven landed onto the sand, and adjusted her grip on BeastBoy. "Okay, so this is where the dream started?" she asked. BeastBoy nodded. "Where did we go from here?" Raven asked. "Over that way." BeastBoy said, pointing to Raven's right. She began walking along the shore towards where BeastBoy had painted. As she rounded the corner, she saw a part of the beach she'd never seen before. "Did it look like this?" she asked. "Yeah, that's weird." BeastBoy said. Raven continued walking along the shore, until she reached a large stone cliff. And it had a small cave in the side. "This is ridiculous. It's exactly as it was in my dream." BeastBoy said in disbelief. "I'm going in." Raven said, setting BeastBoy on a rock. He sat up, and looked at her. "You're kidding." he said. Raven shook her head. "Death isn't like that, so something else must be in that cave." she said. She walked into the cave, and disappeared into the darkness.
. . .
BeastBoy was getting worried. Raven had been in the cave for five minutes, and still wasn't coming back out. Thunk! He heard a noise from inside the cave. "Raven?" he called. "Coming." she called back, walking out of the cave. She had a filthy wooden chest in her arms. BeastBoy's jaw dropped. "That's the chest! The one from my dream!" he said. Raven set the chest on the sand, and looked at it. "Don't open it. Don't do it." BeastBoy said as Raven reached for the locks. CLICK! The chest unlocked. Raven slowly lifted the lid, and gasped. "What!? What's in it?" BeastBoy asked. "It's a spell book. Like mine, but different." Raven said, taking the book from the chest. It was black, with a scribbled handwriting on the cover. "I can't make out what it says." she said. She put it under her cloak and went back over to BeastBoy. "One sec." Raven said. She turned towards the chest, and formed a portal underneath it. It fell through the portal, and then the portal vanished. "Where'd the chest go?" BeastBoy asked. "Back to my room. I want to study this book." Raven said. She picked BeastBoy up, and formed another portal. She walked through it, and instantly arrived back in her room. The chest was sitting on the floor. "Better get you back into the medical room before anyone notices you're gone." Raven said, walking out into the hall. She briskly carried BeastBoy down to the medical room, and opened the door. To her relief, no one was there. She placed BeastBoy back on the bed, and hooked up the computer. She yawned, and stretched. It was the middle of the night, after all. She turned to leave, and then stopped, getting an idea. She walked back over to BeastBoy's side, but he was already asleep. Raven paused, then bent down and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. "Sleep tight, my BeastBoy."