To Guest: Thanks for the review! Enjoy this next chapter!

To Guest: Thank you for still being here. :)

To Emy (Guest): Thank you for being here, seriously. I've been so concerned whether or not people are even reading the updates. And I guess they are, the last chapter got a HANDFUL of reviews, so that proved it. Enjoy this next chapter, it only gets better from here. I promise.

To Guest: Thank you!

To Miss Geek (Guest): OMG, it has been a long time. You've been with me FOREVER. A HUGE thanks to you, seriously. Thank you. Enjoy this next chapter.

To Guest: Thank you for 'silently' watching me. And no, this story is too complex and full of plot to just give up. And there are so many amazing readers following it! I would feel ashamed if I just gave it up, lol. Thank you for reviewing, and please enjoy this next chapter. :)

To Guest: I think even non-BBRae shippers feel for Gar at this moment. He's going through so much. Poor guy.

A/N: Hello my faithful readers, I love and appreciate your reviews so much. I only just realized that I've been working on this story for over TWO YEARS! That's insane, you guys deserve better than that. I'm going to update as much as I possibly can. I know some of you are a little conflicted about Gar's mixed emotions towards Raven. That's only because he's still really pissed at her for taking Bruce's offer seriously. This chapter will be filled to the brink with BBRae, so prepare yourself. There's also a little bit of a time jump. Enjoy.

Part 6: Requiem

Chapter 36: Library

3 Weeks Later…

"Does it hurt?" Terra asked, pressing her fingers lightly to Jenn's back.

Jenn was sitting on the cold examining table in the basement of Wayne Manor. She had her eyes closed, and her back bare. She was shivering slightly. "No they don't…Do they look bad?" She asked.

Terra sighed and stepped away, peeling off her gloves and shoving them in the pocket of her lab coat. She wasn't a doctor, not even close. But she had studied with some of the scientists and doctors that helped people around Gotham, so she knew tons of terminology and diseases. She was like a resident nurse. "They're smaller than what you had originally said. Which means that the bruises are fading…"

"Is that good?" Jenn asked, opening her eyes to stare at the blonde nurse.

"No…Not really." Terra averted her eyes and slowly sat on the bench, grabbing her clipboard in the process. There was an uncomfortable silence.

Jenn sighed heavily, shoving her shirt back on and glaring at the teen. "Can you stop beating around the bush and just be blunt? You know about my previous battles with leukemia, so what's going on with me?"

Terra rubbed her aching temples. Between the lack of sleep and daily check-ups people around Gotham ordered she was exhausted. "The leukemia is back…I don't know if it was in remission and came back or if it was never in remission at all. But the signs are all there. The lack of a period, the bruises, the tiredness, the sluggishness." Terra looked at her, trying to find any pain in the girls' eyes, there was none.

Jenn blinked and shrugged. "Okay, so how long do I have?"

Terra admired her for how strong she was being. "It depends. With the right diet and exercise, you could have a few years. Maybe even more if you start taking some chemo medication." Terra tapped her clipboard and went to the cabinet. She pushed aside a few bottles until she found what she was looking for. She grabbed the large bottle of 500, noticing the four bottles behind it. She handed it to Jenn. "This is Prednisone." Terra sighed heavily. "I'm actually not authorized to give medication out, but what the hell."

Jenn smiled. "Thank you. So how many do I take?"

Terra glanced at the clipboard. "Well, since you're pretty underweight, I would say just 1 every morning. Eventually when the cancer gets more aggressive I'll say 2." The blonde tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "It should at least keep the cancer at bay for at least 2 years, maybe more…Maybe less."

Jenn nodded. "What about training?" She pointed to her black t-shirt and jeans. The yellow bat insignia in place. "I have like 1 more week and then I'll be assigned to a special task. Is it safe?"

Terra nodded. "You shouldn't have any complications." She lied, knowing that the Prednisone would weaken her immune system. "You might be tired the first couple days, but it should wear off as your body gets used to it."

Jenn smiled and tucked the bottle into her drawstring bag. "Thanks, and hey, I saw Gar dyed his hair green again. Raven too. Do you have any hair dye?" She asked brightly.

At the mention of Gar, her heart clenched. "Sure, what color?"

"Pink." Jenn smirked, the diagnosis meaning nothing to her. Her conscience did an uneasy flip before she asked the next question. "And can I take this medication if I'm pregnant?"

Terra dropped the box of pink hair dye, her mouth going slack. "You're pregnant?"

Jenn rolled her eyes and stood up to retrieve the box of hair dye. "Answer the question Terra, can I take the medication if I'm pregnant."

Terra blinked a few times, the initial shock of Jenn's announcement throwing her off balance. "Prednisone is one of those medications that you CAN use when pregnant…"

Jenn examined the dented box of hair dye, "Thanks blondie", and with that Jenn left the room, medications and hair dye in hand.

Terra could only stare.

Richard threw one last punch at the dummy, knocking it down completely, while Kori came in from behind and shot a rubber pellet into its skull. They had tag teamed an army of 100 plastic dummies and mannequins. It was all a test to see if they could hold their own. And they had, as a team.

The lights flared and Connor's voice boomed into the room. "Good job guys, you're free for today. It looks like Tim and Kole are next, send them in."

Kori smiled happily. "We have done well, yes?"

Richard smirked at her. "Yeah, we did pretty good Star."

She jumped and hugged him before scampering out of the room, calling Tim and Kole's name. Richard followed after her, his mind turning at how attached he had gotten to her in the past few weeks. The group had branched off a little. Cheshire and Roy living at Oliver's place. Tim and Kole had shown silent rebellions, often giving Bruce a hard time. But Richard knew that Bruce secretly liked Tim. Vic, Wally, and Gar had spent the most time together. Laughing, joking, pushing and shoving. They helped make repairs to the greenhouses, and Gar was asked to scale the walls at night with Wally to kill some of the crowds of Walkers. Richard knew better though, every time he looked at Gar when he was laughing or joking he could see the terror and worry in his eyes. The brokenness.

Raven and Jenn had spent a lot of time together, along with Kori. Raven was asked to end her training a week earlier than everyone else, due to Bruce wanting her to be well-rested before the tests started in a week. Raven obliged, spending most of her time locked away in the library. Kori had said Raven had lost her spark, and without Gar she almost seemed lost.

The two hadn't spoken for 3 weeks.

As for Richard, he was glad to have Kori. He helped her regain a sense of purpose and move on from her heartache of losing Xavier. And in return, her friendship had helped Richard lead the group, despite their many differences. Her companionship had helped him greatly, and he could tell they were good for each other.

The make-out sessions were great too.

As he approached the exit, Tim walked in, glaring at him as he passed. Richard nodded at the teen only to be ignored. He sighed and followed Kori back to Wayne Manor.

Alfred lightly knocked on the door. "Miss Raven, are you ready?" He asked.

Raven took a deep breath, adjusting her tank top and spandex leggings. "Yes, I'm ready." She opened the door to see him standing there, his arm outstretched for her.

She gladly took his arm, allowing him to lead her. Her heart was racing, no one knew that today she would be proving to Bruce and his team of scientists if she was really immune. Today was the day she could possibly die. She had mentally prepared herself, but for some reason she was still shaking. Her skin was cold to the touch, her face flushed, her sinuses nauseated.

Alfred must've felt her nervousness because he paused. "Miss Raven, you seem quite…Begotten." He said, choosing his words carefully. "Would you like a friend to follow for support?"

Gar's face flashed into her mind. But she immediately shook it away. "Um…Where's Kori?"

Alfred smiled. "I believe at this time she would be on her room, her training for the day complete."

Raven nodded. "After you drop me off, can you get her? Fill her in on what's happening." Raven bit her lip. "Please...Only her…"

Alfred nodded. "Absolutely."

Raven was dropped off in the basement warehouse of Wayne Manor. It was made out of titanium and concrete. The large arena-type room was completely empty, rusted brown spots speckled the floor. Raven tried to imagine that those spots weren't dried blood. The walls were bare except for a rectangular black mirror, it wasn't really a mirror though. It was more of a one-sided mirror, with Raven's side being blacked out. A loud speaker buzzed as she looked at it. "Raven Roth?"

"Y-Yes." She said, knowing that it was Bruce's voice.

"Today you will be tested. A member of the undead will come at you, let it bite you. If the bite infects you we are sorry to say you are not a cure. If it doesn't infect you, your survival will prove vital to us. Kori Anders is coming in with a small weapon for you." Bruce sounded resolute, and devoid of any emotion.

Raven breathed a sigh of relief when the door slid open, revealing a very worried looking Kori.

They embraced and Kori handed her the knife. "Friend Raven, are you sure you wish to do this?" She asked, her eyes tearing up. "I did not know you would be doing this today…You should have told us."

Raven nodded, trying to push Gar out of her mind. She hadn't seen him in weeks and she was nearly 100% positive he had no clue about this. "This is the first stage, if I succeed…I'm going to go through with it. I didn't want to cause drama, or panic…So I didn't tell anyone." She shrugged. "I'm pretty sure I'm a cure, so no big deal right?"

Kori frowned and nodded solemnly. "Friend Raven?"

"Yes Kori?"

"Please just know that I love you." Kori said before turning on her heel and jogging to the door.

Raven nodded and hoped that Kori was behind the two-sided mirror. She clenched the hilt of her weapon. It was a sharp knife, and if things got out of hand too quickly she would shove it through the monsters temple. "Is it a Walker or a Runner?" Raven asked nervously, she hadn't really 'fought' for the past 3 weeks, only in training.

"A Walker." Bruce said over the speaker, sounding surprised that Raven even knew about Runners.

"When will I know its coming?"

"The opposite door you came in will open." Bruce answered. "Begin."

A buzzing sound echoed around the room before the door opened. Raven held her breath before a Walker stumbled out, setting its sights on her. It made a groaning sound before limping towards her. Raven held her knife tighter, her heart racing. It was dressed in a ripped t-shirt that revealed its rotting stomach. Half of its intestines hung out, waving and leaking a strange yellow fluid. One of its arms were bent backwards, its skin was dark and bloodied in some places. The face sunk in, teeth shoved through its lips and cheeks. The smell reached Raven first and she gagged multiple times. It was getting closer and Raven yelped in fear. One of its eyes bobbled on its cheek, also leaking yellow fluid.

"Raven, you have to let it bite you." Bruce said through the microphone.

Raven nodded and allowed the thing to grab her, she squirmed and was about to back out of everything when it bit down on her upper arm. Raven screamed at the top of her lungs, fire coursed through her veins and warm blood coated her arm as she tried to shove the thing away. The pain distracted her, and her skin was about to completely tear off her arm.

Suddenly, the black rectangular mirror shattered.

She heard shouting and multiple gunshots, but couldn't see who it was due to blinding pain and the splatter of blood from the Walkers' skull. Her body crumpled to the floor as it screeched and died, and she began shaking uncontrollably. Her ears rang from the gunshots, her vision blurry. Raven held her bleeding arm, using her other hand to clear the blood from her eyes.

She came face to face with Gar.

She thought she would be happy, maybe relieved, but all that came from her throat was a hiss. "What are you doing here?" Her teeth were chattering for some reason, maybe the sudden blood loss.

Gar rolled his eyes and hefted her into his arms, his eyes never leaving hers. "Did you honestly think I wouldn't be watching you like a fucking hawk? You're lucky I made it here in time." He grumbled and adjusted his grip on her as he walked toward the exit.

The loud speaker erupted. "Garfield Logan, please leave Raven, we will have a medical team escort her to the medical bay for vitals-"

Gar chuckled. "I'll escort her to the medical bay you sick fucks."

Raven stared at him as he walked briskly towards the exit. There were dark circles underneath his eyes that matched hers. He was wearing all black, and had the yellow insignia on his chest. He had made it through training. His weapons belt was filled to the brim with guns and knives, his back adorned with his green sword. She couldn't tear her eyes away, she drank him in. Not realizing how much she had missed him, she hadn't even had a glance at him in the past 3 weeks. She couldn't believe he had been watching her. Did he know about her midnight walks around the Manor? Did he know about her scalding showers filled with tears? Did he know she sometimes skipped meals to go on long exhausting runs around Gotham?

The look he gave her told everything.

Yes.

Before she knew it he plopped her down on a medical gurney and the team of scientists swarmed her. Gar watched her, his eyes filled with uncertainty. He suddenly turned on his heel to leave. "Garfield…" Raven mumbled, halting his steps. "Stay…"

He lowered his head. "I have patrols to do…"

He left…

And it turned out Raven was a cure after all. After numerous blood transfusions and stitches she was asked handfuls of questions that she answered with a numb mind, and then she was led back to her room, only to be left to her cold bed, and empty bed.

It hurt.

The next morning Raven awoke with a sore arm, and a headache. The doctors and scientists of Gotham surrounded her with questions, needles, and odd tools they used to poke and prod her skin. Once they were gone, Raven showered and dressed in a cozy sweater. When she exited the bathroom she was surprised to see that she wasn't the only inhabitant of her room. Jenn was leaning against a wall, her face a mask of confidence and apprehension. Victor sat on the bed, his gaze on his hands. Next to him sat a tray with two muffins and a cup of Squash juice.

Raven cleared her throat and they both looked at her, barely noticing her entrance into the room. "Hello." She mumbled, feeling nervous under their piercing gazes. No one besides Kori, Jenn, and Richard had given her much interaction. Seeing Victor was like a slap in the face, before the bus crash they were close…He was like her older brother. Ever since they made it to Gotham, he had been separate. Distant…Raven had summed it up to him still grieving for Karen. Guilt attacked her chest. Instead of stewing in her own pain at killing Adonis, she should've been there for him. He was alone, grieving the loss of someone he loved in such a deep way.

Victor sighed heavily, as if reading her thoughts. "How's the arm?" He asked.

Raven's eyes wondered to his own arm stump. Secretly grateful that her wound from yesterday was healing. "I'm fine, just sore."

He nodded. "I'm not here to scold you…I'm actually here to let you know how disappointed I am."

Raven gasped, taking a small step forward. "Vic, please." She took a deep breath. "I can only do so much apologizing…" She whispered brokenly her chest aching.

Victor stood up, standing tall, looking strong in his yellow-insignia shirt and all-black fighting gear. "Let me talk Raven, and I'll leave. I'm not looking for an apology." He cracked his knuckles. "If you think you're the only one dealing with pain right now you're wrong. We are all broken in our own ways, hurt from the journey we made together. Our minds are filled with the scars of our many battles. But what you fail to realize is that the only way we made it through these ordeals is by sticking together. By being a TEAM. None of us operate on our own, except you." He let silence permeate the air before making his next statement. "It's easy to lose friends, not make them." He turned on his heel, heading towards the door.

"Vic, wait." Raven said, holding back her emotions as best as she could. "I'm sorry…"

He chuckled non-committedly. "Your apology means nothing anymore Raven, only action can soothe the pain you've caused us." He opened the door. "Oh, and by the way…I don't like the impact you've had on Gar either. He's a robot now, with a kamikaze mission to save you, and you don't even want to be saved."

He slammed the door and Raven flinched, feeling like a piece of plastic floating off the edge of a cliff. Her eyes roved over to Jenn, who stared at her with slight boredom. "Are you going to yell at me too, make me change my mind? Oh, maybe make me hate myself more than I already do?" Raven rasped, choking on her unshed tears.

Jenn shook her head slowly, her eyes locked on Raven's. Her hair was freshly dyed a pale pink, her original color. Her eyes were slate grey, reflective. "Raven, are you actually ready to die?"

Raven, startled, took a tiny step back. "I can't answer that…"

Jenn shrugged. "Then why allow Bruce Wayne access to your life? You wouldn't have accepted his experiments if you wanted to live, am I wrong?" She asked slyly.

Raven rolled her eyes. "Get out, my decision isn't up for discussion." She crossed her arms.

Jenn laughed. "Fine, no problem. Before I go, I wanted to tell you something."

Raven nodded.

"I'm dying…"

Raven's posterior cracked and she almost let her emotions slip, she stared at Jenn. Her shoulders shook lightly. "Wh-what?" She whispered.

Jenn shrugged and looked at the floor. "I'm dying, and pregnant."

For the first time in a long time Raven's posterior cracked. Her shoulders shook even more and she didn't recognize the laugh that resounded from her throat. It bubbled up and around her, and she had no choice but to clutch her abdomen as the laugh ricocheted around the room and into her ears. It had been a long time since she laughed like this and the hysteria of it all made her only laugh harder. Tears formed in her eyes and Raven slumped to the floor. Her laughter turned to giggles, which turned into hiccups, and then into sobs. Her face was hidden by her small hands, and tears flowed freely between her fingers. Her chocked sobs sounded more foreign than her laughter, but at this point she didn't care.

Jenn's strong knife-throwing arms curled around her, and Raven reluctantly leaned into her, crying harder. Jenn stroked her back and kissed the top of her head. "I wanted to tell you and only you, because I know you're good at keeping secrets. The leukemia is back and I might have a few months or a few years, who knows. All I'm really sure of right now is that I'm pregnant, and I'm probably going to die in childbirth anyways. I wanted to tell you this because I know it will help your own decisions." Jenn's eyes were dry as she held tightly onto Raven.

"Why…Why?" Raven whispered.

Jenn sighed deeply. "I wanted to tell you this because death is not easy…and I don't want you deciding that it is."

One Week Later…

The library was gigantic, and layered with a soft touch of dust. It was dimly lit due to the setting sun. The books looked old, with their leathered backs and frayed pages. The spines were dirtied or stained, a few books had ribbon tassels that poked from the shelves.

That was just how she liked them.

She walked among the mahogany cases that stretched to the domed ceiling. Her fingers lightly tapped the spines of various books and her breath caught in her throat as she found one of her favorites. Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained. She eased it from its spot and noticed how old the book was. The spine was loose, and the leather was cracked with years of use. She idly wondered if Bruce or Alfred came back to this book frequently. She opened the cover and noticed that it was engraved to William Babson, dated 1956.

She was about to take it to the window seat to read when the library doors opened.

He was dressed in all black. A V-neck t-shirt and cargo jeans. He had a weapons belt slung across his hips, and his sword hilt protruded from his side sheath. His hair was a bright shade of green, freshly dyed. His fringe was gone, trimmed and gelled upwards. He looked new, and rejuvenated. Except for the dark circles beneath his eyes that spoke a million words.

He closed the door softly, and entered slowly.

Raven watched his slow movements and realized that he was afraid she was going to run away from him, maybe not talk about what had transpired between them in the testing area. He was treating her like a deer caught in the crosshairs of a bow. Raven smirked. "Gar, I'm not a wild animal…just come in."

"Sorry…I uh…" He nervously scratched the back of his neck, his weapons belt jingled. He approached her, taking in the sight of Bruce Wayne's luxurious library. "Beautiful."

"Isn't it?" Raven said, the corners of her mouth tugging into a small frown. "So many books, just sitting here, waiting to be used…" Raven stared at Gar, the setting rays of the sun caught him, basking his figure in gold. Green and gold went nice together. "How did you know I was in here?"

Gar sighed shakily. "Intuition."

Raven raised her eyebrow. "What do you want Gar?" Even though the question was terse, her tone betrayed nothing but curiosity. She lightly crossed her arms, her fingertips playing with the large bandage under her shirt. The stiches were still fresh, and sore. "I thought you only watched me from afar."

He looked at her then, really looked at her, his eyes were filled with the pain of a million men. Sadness seeped from them like tears should've, but there were no tears. "You're getting too injured, they're running you ragged." He swallowed and his face twisted in pain. "Raven…" His voice lowered an octave. "You can't do this." He whispered.

Raven was surprised with the amount of pain in his voice, and she resisted the urge to comfort him. Her heart warped in torment. She licked her lips. "I'm doing this for the greater good-"

"Bullshit." He spat, his teeth clenched. "We both know what this 'sacrifice' is really about. Don't deny it." His anger was short lived, but it was there.

Raven looked away and clenched her eyes shut, her breathing was heavier now. He was right, painfully and openly right. She thought back to her conversation with him at the bus depot, the day after she had inadvertently killed Adonis.

"The problem here is your secret self-hatred."

She felt the familiar sting of tears behind her eyelids and she cursed whatever fate made it possible for her soul to unwind in front of Garfield every time they talked like this. She felt his fingers beneath her chin as he turned her face to his. She begrudgingly opened her eyes, a single tear pouring out. "Don't ask me to not go through with this Gar…This is what I want." She took a deep breath as he removed his hand. "Please." She whispered, watching his face slacken.

"I had a feeling you would say that." He said sadly, wiping her tear-stained cheek. "You just want a way out." A flash of anger etched over his features. "Why don't you understand? I DON'T LIVE IF YOU DIE!" He bit his lip. "If you die, you'll be taking my heart with you."

He turned to walk away and Raven's heart thrummed uncomfortably. She was uneasy saying goodbye like this, and all she wanted was to let him know that he had nothing to do with this decision. He neared the door and the words tumbled from her lips. "Lock the door Gar." She almost shouted.

He stopped, his hand on the door handle, he faltered for all but a moment before he slid the deadbolt into place. "You should be a mind reader Rae…" He said as he turned around.

Raven almost smirked, but cried instead as she placed her book on the nearest table.

It took him seconds to reach her, and by the time he did, her face was already cupped in his hands. He stared at her and traced her cheekbones, nose, and lips in the slowest way possible. Raven licked her lips. "Kiss me." She whispered, a painful yearning burning deep into her psyche.

Gar shook his head. "I want to remember you…I want this to be slow…" He whispered as his lips neared hers. His fingertips rubbed her wet cheeks. "I know I can't change your mind."

She nodded and sunk into the light kiss he dabbled on her lips.

Everything was forgotten as he freckled smaller kisses along her face, so light he could've been mistaken for a feather. His fingers toyed with the knot in her hair, and he pulled the elastic from it, allowing her purple locks to fan out around her shoulders and upper-back. He curled his fingers around one of the strands.

Raven rested her cheek against his hand, staring into his reminiscent eyes.

"How long do we have?" He asked, his eyes on her hair.

"As long as you want…" Raven whispered, despite the hidden undertones of her imminent death hanging over them like an anvil. She kissed his palm.

He snorted and kissed her nose. "I love you."

"I know."

He began with her lips, teasing them between his teeth as his hands roamed over her small body. He removed her cashmere sweater, tugging it over her head without any force. He kept kissing her, lazily, softly, and passionately. He was careful of her bandaged arm, and little Band-Aids across her body.

His arms encircled her, lifting her from where she stood as he perched her on one of the mahogany tables. Raven shivered as he exhaled into her neck. He swirled wondrous kisses there, biting down gently in the spots he knew she liked. She gasped and he moved his lips back to her mouth to smother her coos.

His fingers moved to her pants and he unbuttoned them, sliding them easily down her legs.

Next her panties.

Then her bra.

Then his clothes.

Then they were one.

After several series of tender love making around various parts of the library, the couple reclined to a window seat high up in the archive section. The sun had gone down hours ago, and they were bathed in moonlight and post-haze bliss.

Raven was sitting comfortably between his legs, her back against his chest, and a book in her lap that they both read. His chin was nestled on her shoulder as he followed along with each page. It was a difficult book to read, but he understood the undertones. And he easily could guess why it was her favorite book.

They were naked, and oblivious to the chill as they basked in the warmth of each other. Snow fell outside, some flakes coating the window and distracting Garfield. Every now and then he kissed her neck, tasting the pulse beneath her skin.

He stared at her new love-bites speckled across her neck and collarbone. Proof that he was here, he memorized the curve of her shoulder, all the way down to the sway of her hips and their legs. He replayed their final moments together, and smiled as he reflected on the way she writhed beneath him.

His beautiful Raven, unraveled by the crutch of his love.

Raven suddenly kissed the corner of his mouth. "Next page?" She asked softly.

Garfield captured her lips in his for a lasting kiss. He placed another peck on her neck and she let out a small rare breathy laugh. "Next page Gar?"

"Next page." He said, with a drop of sadness as he was reminded of his future without her.

A/N: And that's the start of it all. I really hope you liked this chapter. Let me know in the reviews! Tell me EXACTLY what you think. I know my writing is a little choppy in this, but I'm trying, I really am. I hope I didn't disappoint.

Please Follow, Favorite, and REVIEW!

Next Chapter: It was raining, the downpour coating Gotham in a sticky glow. The sun had been missing for days, and that only dampened the mood of all the residents. "It's a perfect day for some comedy."