A few days later …

"Hey, kid, wake up. We're almost home."

Garfield was in a state of semi-awareness and bristled internally at Negative Man calling him "kid"; however he did not exteriorize his displeasure. He instead looked out his porthole window and saw Long Island glimmering below in the night, while Manhattan beckoned in the distance, shining even brighter in the dark. He was staring out the window as if searching for something, until it dawned on him that he was looking for the Tower.

"Thanks, Larry, I was already awake."

Robotman was at the controls and he deftly flew the Doom Patrol Jet down to a perfect landing at the estate. Beast Boy picked up his duffel bag and slung it over his shoulder as the jet's engines powered down.

"Team meeting tomorrow at 8AM sharp." Mento bellowed as Rita opened the hatch and they disembarked.

"Good night, Garfield; sleep well." His mother shouted. He waved back at her before morphing into a pterosaur and taking off, clutching his bag in his talons as he took off. He didn't gain much altitude before reaching the guest house. It was close to 2AM, Jill would no doubt be asleep … there was no point in waking her now, even though he was craving a roll in the hay … that would have to wait until tomorrow, assuming Mento gave him any free time to spend with her.

He landed on the house's front portico, which was a scale version of the one on the White House. He quickly resumed his human form and entered their shared abode. After climbing the huge circular staircase he tiptoed into the bedroom, careful to not make any noise as he gently lowered the duffel bag to the floor.

Jill was sound asleep. It was a full moon that night, and it was shining through the huge window. Her skin looked pale and achromatic in the moonlight, and Garfield almost did a double take when he saw her as she reminded him of someone else.

He shook the thought away as he stripped off his uniform and slipped on a fresh pair of pajama bottoms. He sniffed himself and decided that he was too rancid to get into bed, and headed for the bathroom to take a quick shower. As he passed a tall bureau Jill's phone, which was on top of it, trilled to announce an incoming text message. He stopped and glanced at the phone, which displayed the message.

He frowned when he saw the sender's name: Tony Garzarelli. He debated whether or not to read the message, and his curiosity got the best of him.

Why won't you talk to me? What did I do the other day?

His frown became more pronounced. Did Jill see her ex while the Doom Patrol was away?

He quickly calmed himself. It was possible that Tony was accosting her, and judging from the message Jill didn't want to see him. That was good … but Gar also knew that there would be more missions, long missions during which Jill would be by herself … and lonely.

Gar stepped into the shower and turned it on. Soaping up his loofah he began to scrub away the jungle from his dermis. As he washed himself he kept seeing the suave Wall St. banker in his mind's eye. He quickly finished bathing and as he toweled himself dry he resolved to visit Tony and lay down the law for him.

Gar chuckled as he pondered the many ways he could intimidate his rival. Sometimes being a green freak with super powers wasn't such a bad thing. One thing was certain, when he was done with Tony, he wouldn't bother Jill anymore.

-( - )-

Raven and Cyborg quietly ate their breakfasts in the common room.

"Would you like another waffle?"

"No … thanks." She replied.

"So … how's the therapy going?"

"Slow." She replied.

"I know … it can feel like that."

"It is like that … but to be fair there has been some progress." She sighed before continuing. "I just never imagined that it would take so long, it'll probably take years before I'm whole."

"If it's any consolation, I saw Steve for five years."

Raven smirked. "So that's what you were doing when you went 'shopping' for parts for the T-Car."

Victor rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, I actually order those online."

The sliding doors parted and Nightwing entered the room. Cyborg noticed that Raven immediately fell silent. With his bionic ear he could hear her heart rate increase. Nightwing approached the table.

"Raven … I'd like to have a chat with you … in private."

"Sure, when?" She replied in her monotone. Again, Cyborg's bionic ear went the extra mile and he heard an ever so slight tremor in her voice.

"How about right now?" Nightwing replied.

-( - )-

The door to Nightwing's office slid shut after the two birds entered the room, which had not changed a whole lot since the days when Grayson wore the traffic light suit. His desk was still messy, buried under paperwork and broken gadgets. The walls were still covered in newspaper clippings. You could take the boy out of the traffic light costume, but the boy wonder stayed within him. He gestured to Raven to have a seat.

"So, why am I here?" She asked.

Dick fidgeted with his fingers, looking nervous and apprehensive about what he was about to say.

"Raven … I think that it's time to accept the facts … Beast Boy isn't going to come back to the team."

"That's your opinion … you're entitled to it, of course."

"It's more than just my opinion … I've discussed this with Cyborg, Starfire and Bumblebee. We all agree that it's time to backfill his old slot on the team."

"And you chose to exclude me from that discussion."

"I'm sorry about that … but come on Raven, you know that you can't be objective regarding that."

"And you can?" She retorted.

He bit his lower lip before replying. "More than you could be … Raven … I've extended an offer to Wally and Jinx to join the team … we really need the help, it's been tough being short handed."

"Jinx? Are you serious?"

"She and Kid Flash are a package deal … she's come a long way, Raven. I think she'll make a good addition to the team."

Raven frowned. "Whatever."

"Look … I know you haven't given up hope on Beast Boy coming back … if he does return, well, that'll be great … but we can't wait for him to come back … I'm sorry."

Raven stood up and headed to the door. "I'm sure you are."

He gently grabbed her elbow. "Wait … don't leave … there's something else."

She knew it. She sensed that there was something beneath the surface.

"So now the real reason for bringing me here comes out."

"Raven … don't be like that."

"Just tell me and get it over with."

He nodded. "OK … I will … I'm going to ask Starfire to marry me."

Raven arched an eyebrow. "You move fast … I trust you stopped wearing your stupid mask while fucking her." She replied in a bitter tone.

"I've never heard you use the F word before … and yes, I stopped wearing the mask."

"There's a first time for everything … so … congratulations, I guess. Why did you bring me here to tell me this? You could have announced this during a team meeting."

He sat down on his desk. His face betrayed the anguish he was feeling.

"Raven … Starfire … she … she can't ever find out."

"I already gave you my word about keeping our fling a secret … don't you trust me?" She snapped at him.

"Yes, I know you swore to keep it a secret … but … I'm sorry to ask this … have you told anyone about what we did?"

"My therapist knows."

Dick leaped to his feet. "What!? You have to be kidding me! You told an absolute stranger about our fling? Have you lost your mind? If Star ever finds out …"

"Calm down Dick. If he divulged that confidence he would lose his license to practice and possibly face jail time … relax, Dick; our secret is safe with him. I fully trust him."

"Why in the world did you tell him?"

"Because … it's important to me."

"Important? … It was a one night stand."

"We both know that it was more than that, Dick … but I have to explore this … you see … I'm I love with Gar, he's my soul mate … but I lust for you … if circumstances were different I'd have sex with you right here and now."

Nightwing face palmed. "I … I feel the same way … so what are you saying? That we should pair up and be a couple."

She shook her head. "No … we don't love each other, not that way."

"So what are we supposed to do?"

"We? I don't know about any 'we'. You're going to marry your true love and forget about what we did."

"That's easier said than done. We're very close; Raven … you've been in my mind."

"And that's all it should be, intellectual intimacy. We've already gone too far, we've been physically intimate with each other … which makes things awkward. I've been thinking that maybe I should transfer to Titans East."

"No!" He barked. "You aren't going anywhere!"

"Isn't that for me to decide? Dick, right now the only person here I feel comfortable with is Cyborg. Being around you and Starfire makes me feel … sick."

"What about your therapist? If you move to Steele City you'll have to start all over again."

Raven frowned. "OK, smarty pants, you win, I'll stay, but it won't be easy. I don't know how to be around Starfire … not anymore."

"Just be yourself."

"If I did that I'd be ripping your clothes off right now."

"You know what I mean … just because we slept together doesn't mean you aren't her friend."

Raven snorted. "Yeah, right. Maybe we can share stuff, you know … like clothes, shoes, nail polish … boyfriends, lovers. Oh, I'm sure we'll still be BFF's when I tell her that I slept with you … after she rips my head off, smothers it in mustard and devours it."

Grayson winced at her remark.

"What we did was a mistake … something done in a moment of weakness. The fact that we haven't done it again proves that it's true. It's in the past and it needs to stay there."

"Go ahead and believe that if you wish." She said as she headed for the door. "And don't worry; she'll never know about it … you'll be fine with your soul mate."

"What about you, Raven? Will you be OK?"

Raven stopped at the door. "Why do you think I'm seeing a shrink?"

She phased through the closed door and was gone. Nightwing stared at the floor.

"I'm sorry; Raven … I wish we had never done that." He murmured to himself. "And at the same time … I'm glad we did."

-( - )-

The changeling, with a bagel pressed between his teeth, hurried into the conference room.

"Sorry." He apologized for his tardiness as he took his seat at the round table with the Doom Patrol's symbol in the middle.

"Let me guess Gar, it was hard to pry yourself away from Jill." Negative Man smirked. "Don't get me wrong, if I had a babe like her, I'd always be late for morning meetings."

"Don't encourage him, Larry. I don't want tardiness to become a habit on this team." Mento interrupted in a stern voice.

"Aw, give the kid a break … he hasn't seen his girl in months. Heck I'm surprised he made it to the meeting at all." Robotman interjected with a snicker.

Mento glared at the metal man. "Don't encourage him, Cliff … anyway, we're all here now. I'll get to the point. There's no sign of the Brotherhood of Evil. Until there is a trail to follow, we're staying here. Of course that doesn't mean we're going to goof off. We have a four hour training session this afternoon …"

A chorus of groans was heard.

"… a one o'clock sharp … so don't be late. The rest of the morning is yours to use as you please. I'll be catching up on Dayton Industries issues with Questor … Doom Patrol … dismissed!"

Beast Boy was the first to rise.

"Hey, Gar, say hi to Jill." Larry grinned as the changeling rushed out the door. Before he could make his exit, Rita intercepted him. She had a disturbed look on her face.

"What is it?" He asked her.

"Walk with me."

After a long and silent walk Rita led him to her private office. She closed the door before speaking.

"Sit down … I have something to show you."

Rita picked up a manila folder and handed it to him. Gar winced before opening it. "You've been spying on her."

"Just read the report."

He sighed with a tone of resignation. The first thing he saw was a photo taken of Jill and Tony, eating their hotdogs in Central Park. The date stamp on the picture indicated that it was taken just a few days before. He then quickly read the report, which chronicled how Jill snuck out of the Estate without her bodyguards and took a taxi to the office in Manhattan. The report then described how Tony arrived and they departed together.

"I'll talk to her." He announced curtly.

"I'm sorry, Garfield."

"Don't be … for all we know this is nothing."

Gar took the folder with him and headed back to the guest house, where he found Jill watching TV.

"Oh good, you're just in time for Superhero magazine … the teaser said that they have Titans news."

Gar plopped the folder on the coffee table, and after exchanging a chaste kiss with her he focused on the screen. The commercial ended and the tabloid show began.

"Hi, I'm Heather Rodgers and welcome to Superhero Magazine. There's much abuzz in Titans Tower in Jump City. As you all know, Gar Logan, AKA Beast Boy dumped Raven, his girlfriend of five years and reconnected with his old flame, the babeliscious Jillian Jackson. But there is fresh news from the Tower, but rather than tell you myself, I'll let the inscrutable Nightwing, the original Robin, tell you himself."

The view switched to the common room in the Tower, where the Titans were assembled and Nightwing was standing behind it with a grin on his masked face.

"Thanks for coming, everyone. Today I have good news. As you all know, we lost a valuable team member when Beast Boy returned to the Doom Patrol. His sudden departure left the Titans in a lurch, but I am very pleased to announce that not only have we plugged that hole, but we got a two-fer in the process."

Wally and Jinx joined Nightwing at the podium. Gar suppressed a laugh.

"Jinx? She's gonna be a Titan? I guess pigs can fly and Hell just froze over."

"I'm proud to announce that Kid Flash and Jinx are joining the team. This is major win for the Titans and I can't tell you how pleased I am about this." Grayson continued.

Kid Flash and Jinx stepped up and took questions from the press. At first the questions were the expected softballs. After a few questions a reporter upped the ante and asked Jinx if she was ready to be a Titan, given her criminal past. She answered the question gracefully with an affirmation that she was more than ready. Just before the Q & A session ended, a young reporter from a local hipster newspaper asked her if there was enough room in the Tower for "two witches".

"Oh snap, now he did it!"

Before Jinx could reply, Raven rushed to the podium. Her eyes looked angry and her nostrils flared.

"We are not witches!" She thundered in her monotone.

The reporter, to his credit, didn't even flinch. "If you aren't witches, then what are you?"

"We're Titans." Raven replied as Jinx, who had her arms crossed, nodded her agreement. The camera cut back to the studio, where the anchor smiled sweetly. Behind her was an unflattering shot of a scary looking Raven with a caption below her: "I'm not a witch."

"It's official folks, Raven is not a witch … though I have to say, I wonder if Beast Boy agrees. Unfortunately he has refused to talk about his breakup with the violet haired sorceress, but I promise you that we'll keep trying to get an interview with him and …"

Gar turned off the TV. "I've heard enough."

"It bothers you, doesn't it?"

"That they're calling her a witch? Yeah, it does."

"Why? I mean, she always treated you like crap."

"She's still my friend."

"Your friend? Gar … you dumped her. It wasn't an amicable break up. Look, I should know, I've dumped my share of guys. Believe me, they aren't my friends anymore."

"Not even Tony?"

"No, not even Tony … now that you mention him, I need to tell you something."

The changeling's ears perked up. "You do?"

Jill looked contrite. "Gar … I saw Tony a few days ago. He asked me to get back together with him."

"Ok … so … what did you tell him?"

"I told him no, and that we shouldn't see each other again."

Suddenly, the text he saw the night before made sense.

"So, how did he take that?"

"Not well … he keeps texting and calling me."

"I see. Jill, if you'd like I can talk to him, tell him to get lost."

She shook her head. "You don't need to do that. I'll deal with him."

Gar wrapped and arm around her shoulder. "I'm sorry I was gone so long … the last thing I want is for you to be lonely."

She leaned into him. "I won't lie, it really sucked that you were gone so long. Questor told me that one time the Doom Patrol was gone for six months. Gar … I'm not sure I could handle that."

"Hey, that won't happen again."

"It better not."

He gave her one of his winning smiles. "It won't … hey, about we go into town for the day, you know, spend some quality time."

"Can you do that?"

"Well, I have a training session this afternoon, but after being away for two months I'm more than ready to ditch it."

"What about Mento?"

"He'll be pissed … no biggie though, he's always pissed. So, you ready to go?"

She beamed at him. "I just have a couple of things to do first … I'll be quick."

Jill dashed out of the room. Gar picked up the folder his mother gave him and tossed it into the trash.

-( - )-

OK, that wasn't a great chapter, but it is setting up the story for things coming down the road.