Author Talk: I'm soooooo excited for the new DC animated movie that comes out tomorrow. I am proud of DC, minus their live-action movies, because I feel like they listen to their fans and their shipping preferences. For BBRae shipper, you have the Titans. For StarRob, BBTerra, and RaeRob shippers, you have DC Teen Titans animated movies. Although, it is not Raven and Dick, I still like this pair of RaeRob, and the creators added elements that RaeRob shippers like. For example, Raven going into this Robin's head. (I don't know about Young Justice pairing, because I'm still upset that Teen Titans and Justice League won't have another season. And of course, Teen Titans Go!) Hopefully, Raven and Robin romance will go well in the upcoming movie.

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Thanks to everyone who left a review.

Guest: I will try to update as much as I can. I'm still job hunting, so it won't be as often as I did in April.

Mal: Thanks, it's good to be back, and everything is well. Yes, he finally made his move, but...

Mads: :(...sorry

Everyone Else: Enjoy :) and Happy Monday!

Answer and Question

In hind sight, maybe being direct wasn't the best idea. But for that entire day, he thought of different scenarios on how he was going to tell her. On a whim, he decided to be direct.

He ruffled his head as he thought about the other day.

"Rae?" She had been quiet for a while. She stood there staring at him and occasionally blinking. He wasn't sure if her silence was a good thing or a bad thing. He knew by the explosion that he shocked her. From their bond he felt many emotions, yet he couldn't decipher none of them.

"No."

Okay. He knew that was a big possibility when he asked, but still it hurt to hear her say it out loud. However, there was still hope, right? A 'no' today could be a 'yes' tomorrow.

He nodded. "Okay." An awkward moment passed before he said, "So, we are going with Persian, right?" He grabbed his own phone despite her phone being out. He needed to do something to hide his embarrassment.

She studied him. "Maybe I should go."

He looked up from his phone. "Why? There's no reason for you to leave. Besides, you owe me dinner. I can't believe you messed up tacos with the kit." He teased, trying to lighten up the mood. "I knew we shouldn't have skipped the basic."

She didn't say anything as she continued to study him. "Look, you said no, and I respect that. I don't want things to change between us. We are still good friends. So, stay."

He winced. Why didn't he leave it at that? The rest of the night was going well. It was awkward and quiet at first, but the awful tacos were a good ice breaker and soon it was back to normal between them. Until, he ruined it.

"Why not?" He asked as they ate their food. It was bothering him. He was sure that she liked him.

Although the only evidence that he had was a sleepy kiss years ago, he felt that something was there. Furthermore, Yasmine had told him that she never dated or showed interest in a guy since knowing her. His only competition seemed to be 'he', the ice cream flavors guy.

Earlier, she said that he only had a few good qualities. He thought she was teasing, but what if she was honestly expressing her opinion of him. Did she think so little of him?

Not one to shy away from his fear, he asked her directly.

"Do I have to answer that?"

"No, but I would like to know why?"

She put her fork down and exhale. "We're not compatible, I'm nothing like any of the people you had been in a relationship with, and you're not my type. Dating will just end with us breaking up and destroying a good friendship and affecting the team. It's better for us not to go down that path. The two of us successfully dating is impossible. What?"

"I didn't say anything."

"You're smiling."

He probably was. He could deal with the answer that she gave him.

"I know what you are thinking, Dick. It's not going to happen. Get it out of your head now."

"We have done the impossible before."

"This isn't a mission." She groaned, frustrated. "You and I are not right for each other."

"We both dated people who were right for us, and yet, we are both still single. Besides, you never said you didn't like me. That gives me hope." He took a bite out of his food as he watched her come up with another excuse.

"I don't like you."

"Yet." He said with confidence. Now that she answered his question, he knew that she liked him. She was just afraid of what would happen if she acted on it. With time, he could convince her to take a leap with him. He was being sincere when he told her that he respected her answer. However, he wasn't someone to give up something that he really wanted easily.

"If Kory was still here, would you have like me?"

He froze inside his head. He knew that she would bring Kory up. But he didn't think it would be phrase like this. What could he say? That she had caused him to waver when Kory was here? That he kissed her in a moment of weakness and his feelings for her started to surface? Feelings that he buried. She already knew that he cheated on Kory. If he told her everything else, he would look unreliable and uncertain in his feelings for her.

He simply said, "No." He wasn't lying. He would have continued to bury his feelings for her and be devoted to Kory only.

"Then, let's pretend that she never left."

He groaned and placed his head on his arms, which were folded on the table. He should have stopped talking then and said 'okay', but he couldn't leave it alone.

"What if I don't want to pretend?"

"That's sounds like a personal issue, Dick, because I'm not changing my answer. How would it look if I went out with my friend's ex-boyfriend?"

"It would look however we wanted it to look like."

She shook her head. "This conversation is over. I'm going home." She stood to leave, but he grabbed her hand.

"Kory is not here, Rae. There's nothing stopping us from being together. And I'm not going to pretend that I don't want you or desire you. I want you in my bed and-"

She slapped him hard, but he didn't look away from her eyes, not even when he heard an explosion behind him.

"I'm not some rebound that you can play with because you are bored and Kory is gone. I'm not a blow-up doll for your sexual release. I won't be some man second choice just because he can't have his first one!" She yelled.

"You think that I would do that to you?" He yelled back. "I wouldn't hurt you like that. I'm not always a nice guy. I do and say things that I shouldn't. And sometimes I hurt the people around me. But you- You. I will never hurt you."

"You are hurting me now. I never wanted your love, just your friendship, and now, that will never be the same."

She teleported out of his place in her black raven form.

He threw his food in anguish. This wasn't how tonight was supposed to go. He had wanted to tell her that he wanted her in his bed, in his heart, forever in his world and, most importantly, safe and happy in his arm.

He was an idiot. He shouldn't have started off with bed. It shouldn't have been in his sentence at all, but the day that they kiss always appeared in his head at the wrong time.

He groaned. His mind was about to repeat in his head what had happen again when she walked in the common area.

Raven walked into the common room and stopped when she noticed Nightwing. This was her first time seeing him since his confession.

Scanning the room, she noticed that they were the only ones currently there for their team's weekly meeting. She didn't want to be alone with him. She wasn't sure if she could handle it. So, she turned and left without saying a word. She would remain in her room until she felt the others' presences in the Tower.

Her room was basically bare. She hadn't redecorated her room, because, to her, she didn't belong here. Nevertheless, she kept it to her liking for the few times that she did used it.

She sat on the floor and crossed her legs. She closed her eyes and felt herself ascend from the floor. She tried to clear her mind, but it wandered to the words of the priest.

"I heard that you were here." She opened her eyes and uncrossed her legs as she drifted back down to the floor.

She was currently in one of the meditation rooms in the only church that could be found on Azarath. She had come here looking for a peaceful and secure place to control her emotions. Emotions that had spiral out of control due to Dick's confession that night.

"I hope that you don't mind that I came here at night."

The old priest smiled at her. "There aren't too many Azarathians that believe in God. The few that do don't always come to church. So, for one to come, whether it be night or day, is a blessing. Come, let's drink tea and talk. I haven't seen you for quite some time."

"I will stop by after I've finish meditating."

"You have been in here for hours. I doubt that the answer you seek will come through meditation."

"My emotions-"

"Will not cause the church to fall. Come, Raven."

She nodded and followed him out of the door. They walked through a hallway which was covered with floor-to-ceiling windows that showed the surrounding areas of Azarath.

Azarath was not like its former glory, but it was better than the condition that it was in before. She and other fellow Azarathians, who wasn't on Azarath when her father demolished it, decided to rebuild the dimensional city, restoring their childhood home. It was her secret, side project that she kept from the Titans and other certain individuals that lived on Earth.

"How is Commissioner Payne?" He asked as they sat in his outer chamber, drinking tea.

The priest in front of her was the original owner of her bar; the one who was supposed to be in Alaska fishing. He had moved to Earth long before she was born and returned only after learning Azarath had been destroyed. He had only move to Earth due to issues with his father, who was a monk that she had admired and who had helped her tame her powers.

The priest before her was nothing like the few stories that his father had told of him. In fact, he was more like his father: calm, patient, and understanding. It was thanks to him that she was able to find balance once she rejoined the Titans. It was thanks to him that Azarath was being rebuild as well. He had hunted down all of the children of Azarath who remained alive, even her; the one who was the reason why it was destroyed.

"He's doing good. Although, he can be a nuisance at times."

The priest chuckled. "That sounds like Payne. I'm happy that he is continuing to look after you."

She groaned. "I wished that he didn't sometimes." If he hadn't, she would have never met Nightwing's Richard and none of this would have happen.

"What's wrong, Raven?"

She looked up, not realizing that her head was even down. She bit her bottom lip. The priest knew all about her past and the conscious mistake that she made and the parties involved. And how that one little mistake effected so many people. A mistake that she would have repeated again if the outcome was different.

"Nightwing confessed to me."

"The leader of the Titan? The one who is going out with Starfire?"

"Yes and no." She caught him up with everything that had happened since the last time that she spoke with him in depth. She, however, left out that she knew Nightwing's secret identity.

"Do you like him?" She nodded. She had loved him for a long time. Maybe longer than she realized.

"Then you should have said yes when he asked."

She shook her head, tears falling down her eyes. "How could I, knowing what I've done? He would hate me if he found out."

"Then tell him and let him decide."

"I can't." She wanted to, but she was afraid of the consequences. They both were, especially after what happened to him.

"I know. That is why I'm telling you to follow your heart, Raven."

"I-"

"'To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:'" He recited Ecclesiastes chapter three verse one before saying verse eight. "'A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.' You have been at war and hate for so long. I think, this is your time for peace and love. Accept his love and be happy."

"But I can't. What happens if it ends badly?"

"Only God knows the future. You were supposed to bring the end of the world, but yet, we are still here. Your love with him could end up being something that last forever." She shook her head again. "Stop tormenting yourself,child, and live."

A knock at the door pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Raven, it's time for the meeting." She heard Changeling said through the door. She signed and floated back down to the floor.

How could she live when she had been dead inside for a long time?