Guys, the reviews make me so happy! I love hearing what you think and what you're predicting. Some of you are spot on, some of you aren't, and some of you are definitely not going to be happy. But I hope you'll keep reading anyway. I promise it'll all turn out well in the end.
Probably.
I own nothing. The Teen Titans belong to DC and their respective creators.
Chapter titles are taken from the song "Valerie Plame" by Peter Tracy.
"I feel ridiculous," Raven said through the changing room door.
"I doubt you look it," Kori retorted. "Come out."
"How did you manage to talk me into this?" she asked her friend, smoothing down the blouse.
"Because I'm a world class model with good fashion taste and since you'll be working for me, I have to make sure you fit the label," Kori answered calmly.
Raven opened up the door and glared at her. "What label is that?"
Kori smiled brightly and ignored her question, "Oh, you look like a movie star."
"Really? Because I feel that if a movie focused on a girl dressed like me, it would degenerate into pornography very quickly," Raven drawled, looking at herself in the mirror. The pencil skirt was fine. But pencil skirts were nearly synonymous with secretary. The blue blouse was fine, too, if a little tight over her chest. She'd pulled her hair up into a bun, knowing that having her hair down would be a distraction from her work, and also needing a reason to use Vic's new and improved bobby pins. Those things, even all together, weren't the problem.
It was the shoes.
Kori had insisted on them and when Raven had balked, she'd put her foot down and demanded them point blank.
"Rae," Kori said, meeting her eyes over her shoulder. "This is how you do undercover in my world."
"This doesn't feel very undercover," Raven pointed out. "And those guys seem to agree."
Kori glanced back at the two men who were ogling her through the glass storefront. "That's my point, Rae. When they go home, they'll remember your clothes and the way you looked in them. Not your face."
Raven could see the logic Kori was spouting, even if she didn't like it.
"The real question," Kori said, stepping back, "is can you walk in those?"
Three pairs of shoes, three skirts, two pairs of pants, and six blouses later, Raven was finally allowed to leave the shops and walk outside with Kori. Wearing a large pair of sunglasses and a hat with her hair tucked inside, most people walked right past the famous girl without a second look.
Glancing at her watch, Raven commented, "We still have about fifteen minutes before meeting Beast." They'd driven out to the center together, but he'd vanished to do his own shopping before meeting up again.
"Coffee?" Kori suggested.
Raven agreed and the girls entered the nearest shop. Ordering her lemonade and iced tea, Raven settled into a chair outside and wondered how an alley fight left her feeling amped up while shopping was exhausting.
Kori sat across from her, depositing Raven's drink in front of her. "I worked it all out with my manager. He thinks I need to time to de-stress, so this is going to be a vacation. But also, he's booked a photo shoot for me one evening."
"Thrilling," Raven commented.
Kori sighed, "The shoots last hours and it won't even begin until midnight. Something about the lighting on the ocean." She shook her head.
"Sorry."
"It's alright. It'll be interesting working with you and Beast on this."
Raven nodded and answered noncommittally. "Mm."
Kori's eyes narrowed. "Are you two okay?"
Raven glanced up, "Why wouldn't we be?"
"Because he's D.P."
"We're fine," Raven told her, trying to end it. When Kori nodded and looked out at the street, Raven's tension eased. Sometimes the model had too many observations. And despite missing some very obvious cues from Robin, she was usually correct about them.
"He's very good looking," Kori observed after Raven had relaxed.
Raven tried to derail, "I'm sure Dick would love to hear that."
Kori smirked, "Nice. But Beast is attractive in a different way."
"Do tell," Raven said, sipping her drink and praying Kori wouldn't.
"He seems much more…dangerous. Less inhibited than Dick. And with a name like Beast, well…" Kori trailed off as Raven glanced at her. Kori's eyes were dancing and her lips were twisted up in a smirk that seemed almost out of place on the usually perfect and polite woman.
"All those magazines paint you as the innocent, fairy tale princess," Raven observed. "Bet you never spoke like that around them."
"Of course not," Kori said, taking a drink. "It would ruin my image."
"Well, try in front of Dick sometime and watch him implode." Raven turned her eyes back out on the street.
"Tempting," Kori admitted. "But I don't think he's ready for it yet."
Raven chuckled quietly.
"Have you kissed him yet?" Kori attacked suddenly.
Raven turned to face her friend, arching a brow, "Has it been that long for you that you're trying to live vicariously through me?"
"Is that a yes?"
"Was that a yes?" Raven countered.
Kori laughed brightly, "All right, I'll stop. But when you kiss him-"
"'When'," Raven repeated with a scoff.
"-you need to tell me about it. Because I'm very curious. And who wouldn't be, when he looks like that?" Kori said quietly.
Raven followed her eyes to pick out Garfield crossing the street towards them. His jeans were a dark wash and his green t-shirt strained at his chest and arms. Raven had noticed it when they'd been in the debriefing, but she had the chance to admire now. His Ray Bans were perched on his nose as he confidently maneuvered the crowd, finding openings to slip past where there shouldn't have been any, lean muscle drawing the attention of several women as he sauntered past them to Raven and Kori. The way he moved gave no indication that there were ten stiches in his shoulder.
When Raven dropped her eyes, she caught Kori staring at her.
"Knew it," the model whispered. Raven didn't have time to respond as Garfield saw them.
"Ladies," he said as he arrived.
Kori greeted him as Raven examined the bags he carried. Every name was a good one, assuring that his choices had most likely been good as well.
"All set?" he asked Raven.
She nodded, "According to her, I am."
Kori smiled, "Rachel will do very well. As I'm sure you will."
Garfield grinned and Raven ignored the tingle down her spine as he did so. "I hope so."
"You will," Kori announced, standing up with her drink. "Because if you don't, I'll find out why." Her voice dropped as she eyed Garfield, whose smile grew wider.
She started off, expecting them to follow.
Raven grabbed her bags and fell into step behind her, Garfield at her side. She was very aware of how close he was walking, how she could feel the heat of his skin on hers even without touching.
"You know," Garfield murmured to her, bending nearer, "I keep forgetting that she's actually an operative."
Raven's heart sped up, though she played it off and looked up at him, "If I were you," she replied quietly, "I'd do my best not to forget that. Ever again."
Glancing down at her, Garfield grinned at her words, then looked back up to Kori. "Yeah," he said, more to himself than Raven, "this should be fun."
"Kori! Rachel!" Robin shouted up the stairs. "Let's move!"
Cyborg was loading their luggage into two different cars. Rachel, Kori and Garfield would go in one, the rest in the other. Garfield tugged at the new black tie, still unused to his new clothes. Robin had complimented him when he'd come down, looking over the black slacks, pristine white shirt, black tie and suit jacket. "Subtle. Nicely done," he'd said.
"Holster?" was Steve's only comment.
"In the suitcase, along with the weapons," Garfield answered. Getting weapons through security required no small amount of care,
Now, with the men's luggage loaded, they only had to wait for the girls. In their defense, they still had about ten minutes before they were supposed to leave, but Garfield had noticed that Robin was a stickler for promptness.
"Coming," Kori said, two large suitcases in her hands and a heavy bag over her shoulder.
Despite his ire at running late, Robin still ran up the stairs to help her with her things. He brought them out to the car, "Get loaded up, I'll lock up and hurry Rachel along."
Garfield nodded as Mento and Cyborg got into the other car. He loaded Kori's things into the trunk of the SUV as she thanked him and got into the backseat. It was like a game of Tetris to fit everything in, though he had only one bag for himself and a backpack for the plane. Kori's suitcases were large and heavy, though he figured she had to maintain the ruse.
"Geez," he muttered beneath his breath, finally sliding one more in, "got enough crap, model?"
"No," said a voice from behind him. "Here's her last one."
He turned, already taking the bag out of Rachel's hands, then he froze. Gone were the sweatshirts, tank tops, jeans and boots. In its place were sinfully tight skirts, a buttoned up blouse that was barely holding onto professional propriety, sheer stockings that encased long, pale legs and-
God, those shoes.
Sky high, fuck-me heels sat on her tiny feet, making her legs look miles long. When he finally brought his gaze back up, he met dark eyeliner around purple eyes that were narrowed and frowning red lips. Her hair was a complicated twist at the back of her neck, revealing the long line of her throat and it made Garfield want to throw the luggage aside and pull her into his arms and...
"Here," she said, breaking the spell. She took the suitcase that was still held in his motionless arms and settled it neatly onto the others, slipping a single suitcase of her own into the only space left. She carried a black shoulder bag that went into the passenger seat with her. Garfield's eyes locked onto the sway of her hips as she walked away from him.
"Beast," Kori said, when he hadn't moved in a few seconds. "We're ready."
"Right," he answered, shutting the door and crossing to the driver's side. Snapping his sunglasses into place, he shifted his pants to hide his reaction. He hopped in, starting the car and doing his best to keep his eyes off of the woman in his passenger seat.
By the time either of them started talking, he'd gone through the list of his most hated actors in his head, getting control over his body as he distracted himself.
"While we're on mission," Kori said from the backseat, the shuffle of papers breaking the quiet, "I'll be Ms. Anders to both of you. Raven, you are?"
"Natasha Finn," Rachel replied without hesitation.
"And Beast?"
"David Pratt," Garfield answered, recalling the information Robin had given him. David Pratt was a solid soldier, just come back from his tour in Afghanistan and finding it difficult to readjust to civilian life. A soldier through and through, Garfield would definitely have to work hard to keep this persona in place.
"Ms. Finn and Mr. Pratt. Rumor is that while Ms. Anders is a generous and kind employer," Kori's smile was apparent through her voice, "she's also very demanding. High paced environment, being around me."
Garfield nodded.
"There will be the usual amount of insanity," Kori warned them. "The hotel security has been warned and provided with photographs of the worst of them, but your role, Mr. Pratt, is not entirely fictional."
He was glad he had thought to bring the gun he actually had a permit for – he needed to be able to carry it in public. Just in case.
"Ms. Finn, you'll be in charge of handling press and my schedule, which I've given you a copy of. Tomorrow starts early with-"
"Breakfast with the hotel manager at 9, tour at 10, boat ride with two politicians and their wives at 1, late lunch with the mayor at 3, followed by some down time," Rachel recited, without looking at anything. "Thursday night is your late shoot on the water."
"I should have known you'd do your homework," Kori agreed. "We have a suite of room on the second highest floor, 2902," she continued.
Garfield observed, "Right below Blood."
"Exactly. Robin, Mento and Cyborg will be three floors below us, in room 2632. Any questions?" Kori asked as they pulled off the highway and into the airport.
Garfield shook his head. "Sounds good."
"All set," Rachel responded, hiking her bag up on her shoulder.
Garfield parked the car, turning off the engine and getting out first. He hurried around to Kori's door, opening it up for her. She stepped out of the car, her sunglasses and attitude in place. She was still kind, but a little more distant. "Thank you, Mr. Pratt."
He nodded, already moving to the trunk and keeping his eye on his surroundings. Rachel had already slipped out of the car and gotten a cart to carry their bags. He helped her load them onto the cart, noticing how her personality seemed to be a little more aloof and focused on Kori.
Biting back a sigh, Garfield straightened his shoulders and pushed the cart, Rachel and Kori in step behind him.
They made it through security without an issue, but Garfield wasn't surprised. A few minutes in the high end lounge and it was time for them to board. Kori turned on them while in line, "I'll see you once we get off the flight."
Garfield frowned.
"She's first class. We're economy," Rachel explained.
Holding back his sigh, Garfield looked forward to a four hour flight in coach.
Raven shifted again, her elbows tucked into her sides. Garfield had offered her his window seat, but she declined. Pride played into it a bit, but logic was there as well. She was smaller and able to deal sitting between two people. Even if the person in the aisle seat was grossly overweight and took over the armrest and several inches of Raven's seat.
Personal contact wasn't quite Raven's thing. With those she was comfortable with, it was fine in small doses, but constantly pressed up against the fleshy arm of a stranger…that was uncomfortable.
And then there was the other side.
Garfield's new attire was distracting.
She'd almost dropped Kori's bag when she saw him. The black pants were fine, but the white shirt was pulled tight over his arms and chest, the black jacket only making his shoulders look broader. And the tie.
She prided herself on her self-control, but today it had been tested. If she grabbed the edge of it and just pulled him down…
Taking a breath, Raven refocused on the papers she'd pulled out to look over. Even without looking at him, she was very cognizant of him. Ever since his attempt in the car, she'd been more and more aware of him with every passing moment she spent with him. He was more than what she had thought when they met. Every move she made was countered or complimented by him and she'd never found that in a partner before. Professionally or otherwise. He was her equal.
Work. Information on the Pure Water Program and past donors, trying to get a good grip on organization if she was supposed to represent it in front of Blood. When the flight attendant dropped off her ginger ale, he had to stretch over the large, snoring man at Raven's side. Raven took it with a murmured thanks, going back to perusing her packet and trying to ignore the scent of her partner. He smelled like leather and musk. Raven tried to ignore it, but it was impossible not to breathe.
The man on her left snorted and shifted, knocking into Raven's arm and making her spill her drink on the papers. Biting the inside of her cheek, she wiped it off, reminding herself that secretaries don't accost strangers.
"Here," a low voice murmured from her right.
Raven glanced over as Garfield lifted up his armrest, shifting slightly in his seat so as to give her room to move away from the stranger –
-and closer to him.
Raven took stock for a moment, wondering if she could move without losing the control that seemed so much more tenuous when Garfield was involved.
She wasn't entirely sure she could, but she did it anyway. She loosened the seat belt and moved over on her chair. As she settled, her leg pressed up against his. Oddly enough, contact with him wasn't as uncomfortable as with the stranger.
"I offered the window seat," he reminded her under his breath.
"And next time," she retorted, "I'll take you up on it."
Garfield chuckled, the vibration shivering along her shoulder that leaned into him. Raven ignored it as best she could and turned back to her papers.
"You look…" he trailed off.
Raven glanced at him, her fingers pausing on the paper.
His green eyes stared at her, not grinning or smirking or testing her, but just staring.
Raven's brow arched as she waited.
The smile returned, "Did you look to see where the others are?"
That was not what he was going to say, but she responded nonetheless. "Rob and Cy are in row 36. Mento's ahead of us in 14."
"Air marshal?" he asked her, quietly.
Raven took the subtle challenge, "21B and another up in first class, 3D."
He smirked. "Nicely done."
"Did you expect anything else?" Raven asked quietly, turning back to her papers.
"Nope. But that doesn't mean I don't enjoy seeing what you can do."
She glanced over her shoulder at him, meeting the green gaze once more. She couldn't resist when the smile turned into the smirk, showcasing his chipped canine. It shouldn't have been as attractive as she found it.
"Then keep watching," Raven told him.
He chuckled. "I intend to."