The Different Sides of Raven

Garfield Logan sat in the Titan's Tower feeling more content than he had in a long time. The past month had been so calm—aside from the few crimes they'd had to foil. He'd been enjoying the return of his powers, finding a new appreciation for his animals now that he had them back. His relationship with Raven was as strong as ever. The team had been running smoothly. Everything was just…perfect.

He slid a hand into the pocket of his uniform and fingered the small box that had been resident to his clothing for the past few weeks. His heart galloped in his chest at the thought of what this ring represented, at the fear of rejection.

Raven had once told him she wasn't wife material, but that was before they'd started dating. She'd once said she wasn't girlfriend material either. He'd proven that one wrong already. What was one more challenge?

"Hey, B.B.! Isn't this your song?" Cyborg called over as some silly pop song by Taylor Swift came over the device Starfire was listening to.

Pushing the engagement ring to the back of his mind, he grinned over at his best friend. "Hell yes. This is my jam." Never one to pass up an opportunity to be silly, he jumped on top of the table Robin was currently using to do some sort of investigative work and began doing an over-the-top, extremely feminine dance. He swiveled his hips and shook his ass. He'd seen Starfire dancing around enough to mimic her actions. He knew he looked like an ass, but that was the fun of life, right?

Robin grabbed his paperwork and leaned back out of the way, shaking his head in disbelief. "If Jump City could see the way you behave on a daily basis, they'd be a bit more fearful for their lives." Despite this, there was a smirk on his lips.

Starfire gave a squeal of delight and began clapping her hands. "Oh, most enjoyable!"

"Wow," Cyborg said with a chuckle. "Wow. That's all I can say."

Beast Boy laughed and wiggled his ass a little more provocatively at his best friend. "You started this. Just never forget that." He spun to face Raven and pointed at her, winking. Then he shook his ass in her direction, mocking a seductive shimmy.

Raven rolled her eyes, peeking at him over the top of the book she was reading. "I can't believe I fantasize about having your babies."

Her words caught him so much by surprise that he stumbled and tripped off the edge of the table. He hit the ground with a crash, but he barely noticed. She fantasized about having his babies?! That hit him like a punch to the gut.

So she had been thinking about their future. The things he wanted in life that he'd worried she never would… Were they actually a possibility? Joy welled up inside of him as he climbed awkwardly to his feet, and a grin plastered itself across his face. "Raven, I—"

The moment he took in her expression, his stomach sank. It was one of horror, of embarrassment, of humiliation. She kept her gaze lowered to the ground as she struggled to her feet, her shoulders stiff and her jaw clenched. "I… Excuse me. I have…" She shook her head, obviously unable to come up with a lie off the top of her head. "I have to go."

"Raven…" He didn't want to embarrass her more by grabbing her or forcing her to stay, so he stood awkwardly in place and watched her race out of the room. His heart ached as he watched her go. A myriad of feelings swirled through him upon her departure. The biggest was fear.

Had voicing her thoughts made her realize she didn't want them? Or was she just that embarrassed of him that she didn't want anyone else to know how serious they were about this relationship? No matter how he looked at it, her reaction wasn't good.

He ran a hand nervously along the back of his neck and offered his friends a weak smile. "Well, this is awkward."

Robin and Cyborg remained silent, obviously at a loss for what to say. Raven had just run from the room at the mention of having kids with him. That was more than just a little awkward. It was humiliating. And it took a lot to embarrass him.

It was Starfire who finally spoke. "Friend Garfield…" She hesitated. "Do not feel discouraged. Raven struggles very much with her emotions. I am sure she did not mean…"

Sighing, he ran a hand over his face. Then he offered them a second smile, this one a little less forced. "I know. Trust me. I know."

"You should go after her," she said, motioning encouragingly toward the room's exit.

"I know that too." With a grimace, he headed toward the door. Though he paused in the archway and glanced at them over his shoulder. "Hey, if she hasn't dumped me before now, I don't think she's going to."

He had his concerns though. He truly did.

As he headed for her room—knowing that's where she would have escaped to—he took a slow, calming breath. If he was honest with himself, he trusted Raven. He knew she didn't have doubts about them. Not after everything they'd been through.

Once he stopped to calmly assess the situation, he realized she was embarrassed by her confession. She was always so careful in front of their friends. Everyone knew they were dating, but she didn't express public displays of affection often. They were few and far between, and that was why he loved them so much. She showed affection in public, in front of their teammates, when her emotions became too much for her to repress. He reveled in being the reason for her slips.

His tension easing somewhat, he approached her door and gently rapped his knuckles against the surface. "Raven? Can I come in?" He waited a beat, listening for her response. When he didn't get one, he knocked again, this time a little louder. "Raven?"

At the silence that persisted, he frowned. She never just ignored him. Even when he was at his most annoying. "Raven, I'm coming in." He entered, expecting to hear words of protest, but he discovered that the room was empty.

His frown deepened. He'd been sure she would come here. This was her quiet space, her escape when she needed to be alone. She lived in his room, but she meditated in her own. Well, there or on the roof…

Maybe she'd gone up to the roof, to meditate or think in the fresh air.

He was just turning to leave when a glint of metal on the bed caught his attention.

Her mirror.

He was familiar with that mirror. All too familiar.

Raven had escaped not just into her room, but into her own mind as well.

He scowled. He understood her need for privacy at times. He even understood her desire to work out some emotions on her own. But the comment she'd made, the topic involved, it wasn't a one person kind of thing. She was in her mind sorting out their future, perhaps even changing her mind, without giving him a say so in the matter.

Well, he wasn't having it. He refused to let her get so freaked out by such an innocent comment to the point where she needed to hide from him. Where she second guessed their future. He refused.

"You're not shutting me out, Raven. No way." Snatching the mirror up from the bed, he steeled his nerves before looking down into its surface.

And then suddenly, he was no longer in Raven's room.

In an instant, he'd been sucked into the mirror. Into his girlfriend's mind.

OOOOO

Garfield found himself somewhere he thought he'd never visit again—the inside of Raven's mind. He recognized the rocky terrain, the unstable surroundings. It brought back a flood of memories from the last time he'd been here. Then, he'd had Cyborg with him. Now, he was facing this alone.

Swallowing nervously, he glanced around, taking in the barren atmosphere. Surely, Raven was around somewhere. Or at least some version of her. Nodding to himself, knowing that the only way to proceed was to, well, proceed, he took a tentative step forward.

"Hello?" he called out, hearing his own voice echo back at him. "Raven? Are you here?" It felt odd, knowing he was calling out into her mind, asking if she were present. Of course she was. She was here. She was just…hiding from him.

"I know you're here! Can you just…come out and talk? Please?" He gazed around himself, waiting. Hoping. A moment later, his request was granted, but not in the manner he expected. He turned to find a figure shrouded in a green-hooded cape.

"Bravery," he said, wondering why he was surprised to see her. Coming here, he'd known things weren't going to be easy. This was Nevermore. Raven hadn't escaped into her mind for no reason. He'd expected he might have to go through a few of her "selves" along the path to get to her.

"Garfield." She stared him down, arms crossed under her chest. "What are you doing here? This is an invasion of our privacy." Her expression was hard and unforgiving. She appeared as unmovable as a mountain.

"I think you know what I'm doing here," he said, voice as unwavering as hers. "I'm looking for Raven. Would you mind going and getting her?"

Bravery sent him a dry look. "I think you know the answer to that."

He sighed. "I figured that's what you'd say." He ran a hand along the back of his neck. "So we're not doing this the easy way. Let's do it the hard way then." He strode off in a random direction, making a path through the difficult terrain that was Raven's mind. He didn't figure there was a right or wrong way to go. This place didn't exactly exist on a map. It was his girlfriend's mind. He figured the action of movement in any direction would be enough to get this journey started. "All right, so we walk. You take me the long way to Raven and the two of us can talk through some stuff."

She stood rooted to the ground for a moment. Then, reluctantly, she followed after him. It was either follow or let him roam through her mind all on his lonesome. He knew she didn't want that.

Smirking at how well he knew her, he glanced sideways at Bravery. "So why you?" he asked, voicing the question on his mind. He couldn't fathom what he and Bravery had to discuss.

She pursed her lips, as if considering refusing to tell him. Then she sighed and said, "I was the only one at the moment brave enough to face you."

That made sense. In a very odd, messed up sort of way. His girlfriend didn't feel brave enough to face him. What a grim thought that was. "You don't have to put on a brave face for me. You know that, right?"

She glanced sideways at him as they walked along. "I know that. The other pieces of her?" She shrugged noncommittally.

"I love you at your most vulnerable," he said softly. "Because I know you don't show that side to the rest of the world. When it's just us, and you let your walls down, those are my favorite moments." He smiled over at her. "I love that you're brave. Love it. You are a total sexy bad ass." He paused, sending her a firm look. "But you don't have to be. I'm here either way."

"She…we appreciate that. You care for us when we're not at our strongest."

"What kind of man would I be if I didn't?"

A glimpse of a smile touched her lips. "You didn't need me here as a buffer."

"Agreed. So can I talk to Raven now?" he asked as they walked along. He hopped over an open space in the ground to the next stretch of land, cautious of where his feet landed. The last thing he wanted was to go plunging into the recesses of Raven's mind and end up lost.

"She's not ready," Bravery said simply.

He nodded at this. He was willing to be patient. The confession she'd made in front of their friends was a big one, and he knew she felt rattled. "Okay," he said gently. "She's not ready. What now then?" He was willing to be patient, but he needed a focus. He needed to know he was helping her through this. He wasn't about to leave and abandon her to this herself. It involved him, their future, and he wanted to have his opinions known.

"Now I hand you over to someone else." She reached over to squeeze his arm. "You've thoroughly won me over. Now you just need to convince the rest of us…the rest of her. The bravest parts of her are ready for the next step. You just need to get the rest of her on board."

"I will," he said firmly. And he meant it. He would stay here as long as it took to make Raven feel comfortable with their future. Whatever it took, he was willing to give. "So who's next in line?"

Bravery nodded in the direction they'd been walking.

Garfield turned to find another version of Raven.

This one wore an orange cloak. She leaned up against a pillar of rocks and stared at him with an expression of pure boredom.

"Laziness," Bravery said with disdain. She shook her head and Gar realized the two were very much opposites. One of them was Raven's desire to jump in, be the hero. The other was her desire to sit back and let someone else take control. He'd won over one of them. Would he be able to win over the other?

He glanced toward Bravery to thank her for guiding him, but she'd disappeared. Letting out a long exhale, he turned his attention away from his last task and on to his new one. He didn't have time to look back. He needed to press on. With this in mind, he made his way over to the second version of his girlfriend.

"Hey," he said cautiously, eyeing her for any sign of what she was thinking, but her expression gave nothing away.

"Hey," she said neutrally.

He reached her side and casually leaned against the stone pillar beside her. "So you're next on my list, huh?"

She shrugged. "I was the only one who couldn't find the motivation to be afraid of you."

He snickered at that honesty. "I always did like you."

The hint of a smirk touched her lips.

"I guess the questions is whether you like me or not."

She shrugged.

His brows rose in surprise. "A shrug, huh?"

She shrugged again.

"Care to explain?"

She let out an impatient huff. "I don't know… Life is just easier when I don't have to worry about relationship stuff. I can coast through, do my own thing." She shrugged a fourth time, making it hard to ignore how jittery she seemed. "Relationships are a lot of work. It takes motivation that I don't always have."

He gave a quiet mumble of understanding. "I get that. I do." He arched a brow. "No one understands the desire to be lazy more than me. I promise you that." He elbowed her playfully in the side. "You're allowed to be lazy, you know? If this relationship stuff starts weighing you down, just give the word. You and I can lock ourselves in our room and just watch some TV. We can shut out the rest of the world. We don't have to impress everyone else. We just have to make us happy."

She glanced at him in surprise. "You'd be fine shutting everyone else out?"

"Baby, I prefer it." The astonishment on her face at the endearment had him laughing. She was still Raven. She was still his woman. Only on a smaller scale.

"So you…honestly wouldn't care if I washed my hands of the outside world and barricaded us in our room?"

"Nope."

"Where there's no one looking. No pressure to be perfect. No expectant stares."

"Sounds fantastic to me."

She opened her mouth, but no words came out. It was like she'd been expecting a different answer than what she received. "You're telling me you're perfectly okay with being lazy in this relationship?"

"I mean, not all the time, but some days sure. We all need a break from responsibilities and expectations."

She gave him a soft little smile. "That sounds nice."

"It does, doesn't it?"

Laziness gazed at him affectionately for a long moment, her expression one of relief. "Thank you," she finally whispered. "Sometimes…the pressure gets to me. I just need to take a step back."

"Anytime you need it, just give the word. There will be no judgment on my end. I promise you that."

She smiled at him, all of the tension gone from her face. Then she glanced farther down the path and her eyes widened slightly. "It looks like my time with you is coming to an end. Someone else wants your attention."

"Who's that?" His gaze followed her to find a pink-clad girl waving at him. Her smile was brilliant, her expression cheerful. He tapped Laziness lightly on the shoulder in farewell before pushing away from the stone pillar and approaching the newcomer. "Happiness," he greeted.

"B.B.!" She gave a squeal and raced in his direction.

Snickering, he accepted the hug she bestowed on him as she threw herself into his arms. "What took you so long?"

She tugged at his arm in excitement. "I wanted to come see you right away, but you know I'm not one of the dominant personalities." She shook her head at the ridiculousness of that. "I should be. I totally should be. But Raven is still very cautious about letting me out."

"She's getting better at it."

"Totally." With a skip in her step, she tugged him forward along a path. Rocks slowly gave way to grass and flowers. Soon, they were walking through a beautiful garden, one that matched the mood of this version of Raven. "Especially since she started dating you. It's been such a big change." She let out a whimsical sigh. "Did you know that when you were her Secret Santa it was one of the happiest times of her entire life. How crazy is that?"

Her jovial mood dipped momentarily. "It's actually kind of sad. How hard she's had it." She blinked, her gaze vacant as she remembered past misery in Raven's life. But as she was one of Raven's more optimistic personalities, she quickly shrugged it off. "But that's all behind her. Trigon is behind her. Feeling so alone is behind her. She has you now!"

As amusing as she was, Garfield understood why Raven hid this bubblier side of herself from most of the world. She was known for her dark personality, her stoic behavior. Letting Happiness out with free reign made her vulnerable. And Raven did not like to be vulnerable. It was sad, but he understood her need to protect herself. She'd been hurt enough.

"I know this may seem like a silly question, but are we good?" He sent her a curious look. "I've not done anything to make her happier side wary of me, have I?"

Happiness gave a little scoff. "Of course not, silly! You're a big part of why I get to come out more often! Without you, I'd still be limited to those rare girl bonding times with Starfire that Raven pretends to hate."

He nodded. "Good. It's nice to know at least one of her emotions was on board from the beginning with this whole relationship thing."

"Of course I'm on board!" She leaned in closer and squeezed his arm tightly to her chest. "You make us so happy! Happier than we've ever been. Happier than we ever knew we could be." She sent him a beaming, energetic smile. "I'm really only buying some time for her other emotions. They weren't expecting Laziness to get behind advancing this relationship so quickly. She surprised them."

She sent him a little wink. "Me, I think it's a great idea. Why not move forward? Pretending this relationship isn't progressing is silly. And it stresses her out. Why not just embrace it?"

"That's kind of what I was thinking." His hand went to his pocket and he stroked the ring box there once again. They'd been dating less than a year. It was probably crazy to be considering marriage. But he just knew this was the right move. Raven was it for him. There would never be anyone else. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, so why wait?

"You're, like, totally good to us," Happiness went on, unaware of his own inner turmoil.

He smirked at the thought of Raven using the word "like" as if she was some type of party girl, but chose not to comment. Happiness was a ball of positive energy and he didn't want to do anything to mess that up.

"Raven knows that," she went on. "She does. She's just afraid to express that she's fully aware of that fact."

He nodded. "It's okay. I know." He grinned wryly. "But just a little secret…she does show it."

Happiness cocked her head, a questioning expression on her face. "She does? I always complain she doesn't do enough, that she should be grabbing you by the front of that uniform and kissing you silly."

He chuckled and shook his head. "Trust me. She shows it. Like when we're watching movies together and I lean my head on her shoulder? She strokes the tips of my ears. I've always said girls dig the ears, but…not the way she does. There's just something about the way she does that…" He quivered at the thought. Raven stroking his ears turned him on in a primal way he couldn't even express with words.

Happiness looked unconvinced and yet eager to hear more at the same time. So he gave her more. "And the way she curls herself around me at night. Like I'm the only thing in the world that makes her feel secure. It…" He felt emotions rise inside of him. "It makes me feel…" He shook his head, unable to continue. "It shows me all I need to know."

Happiness tilted her head to the side and gave him a gentle smile, one less beaming than her usual. "You love her."

"Of course I love her."

She nodded, taking this information in. "I think…I think we've arrived at our next destination." Reaching out, she plucked a flower from a nearby bush and tucked it behind his ear. "You have my vote, Garfield. You always have." She took one of his hands between both of hers and squeezed. "Keep bringing me out. Keep pulling me to the surface unexpectedly. It feels nice. Not just for me, but for your Raven too." She smiled. "I've been leaned on more this past year than the last ten years combined. Thank you for that."

She turned and looked down a rocky path, one littered with loose stones and uneven pavement. "I'll leave you here." She hesitated, then placed a hand on his shoulder. "Good luck."

He nodded, peering into the dusty roadway before him. Knowing that he wouldn't get many answers just from the terrain, Garfield took a tentative step forward. Then another. Then realizing this was Raven and he was determined to get each and every one of her emotions on board, he strode forward, a confidence growing in his steps. "Raven," he called out. "Or whichever version of you this is. Come out. We need to talk."

He was surprised when a hooded figure stepped out from behind a large boulder. He hadn't even seen her there. But then again, this was Raven's mind. Perhaps she'd just appeared. Or maybe teleported in.

Or maybe he was just that unobservant. What did he know?

He stared at this Raven, hidden by her brown cloak, and struggled to remember what she represented. Brown… Brown… Brown… And then it hit him. "Sloth."

She nodded, her cloak falling back to reveal wind-tussled hair. She was less…put together than his Raven, but he could still see her in there. "Beast Boy," she said evenly.

"Ooh! Beast Boy. Going more formal. Hmm…" He cocked his head to the side and stared at her. "What beef could you possibly have with me? It's not like I'm a neat freak or anything. I'm as dirty and lazy as the next guy."

"I'm not pretty," she said simply, completely derailing his thoughts.

Her statement caught him so much by surprise that it caused him to stumble over a rock in his path and nearly fall to his face. He recovered, but he knew his expression must be one of pure shock. "Excuse me?"

"I'm not pretty." She let out a huff. "I'm not like Starfire. All the guys love Starfire. And I'm never going to be that. I don't know why you waste your time with me." His jaw dropped, but she continued as if she didn't notice. "I'm not the flirty type. I'm never going to giggle and cling to you how she does with Robin. I'm never going to send you flirty eyes. I'm not like Jinx with her girlish laughs. Or Ravager with her blatant sexuality that drives men wild. I'm just…this. I'm messy and I'm flawed. I don't have perfect hair or a charming smile. I don't have—"

Garfield cut her off by invading her personal space. He grabbed her around the waist and hauled her up against him. Before she could react, he kissed her. He kissed her hard and long, his mouth unforgiving about what he was taking.

When he pulled back, he stared down into wide, worried purple eyes. "Don't you dare ever say you aren't, beautiful. Don't you dare."

"Garfield—"

"You are the most beautiful, most sexy woman I have ever met. Sure, maybe you don't toss it around like Rose. And maybe it isn't so blatant like Starfire where all the reporters flock to you. But I don't want that," he said firmly. "I want you. I want that subtle level of sexiness, the kind you save just for me."

He tightened his arm around her back, his gaze fixing to hers intensely. "You drive me wild, Rae. The scent of your shampoo. The quirk of your lips when you're trying to be tough but you're fighting a smile. The way you clink your spoon against your tea cup when you're distracted by what you're reading. That to me is sexy. All of it. You're sexy when you're in nothing but your panties waiting for me in the bedroom. But you're also adorable to me in moments you wouldn't expect. Like the other day when you got a drop of spaghetti sauce on your uniform and were trying to clean up before anyone noticed."

He cupped her face with his hands. "I want all sides of you, sweetheart. The sexy. The funny. The serious side. And yes, even the sloppy, uncoordinated, awkward side. I love her too. Don't you dare question it."

Sloth gazed up at him in astonishment. Her mouth gaped open just a little bit, her breath brushing his lips. And then she pressed up on her toes and kissed him.

He sank into it, his hands cupping her face, holding her to him. When they parted, he whispered, "Don't you ever think you aren't beautiful. Don't you ever think you're less than any of the other women. To me, you're everything."

"Oh, well done."

The mocking tone reached Garfield's ears a moment before he was yanked away from Sloth. His back hit the ground—hard—and it was only his training that had him rolling through and nipping up to his feet. Crouching down in a defensive stance, he stared across a few feet of rocky terrain at Raven's most intimidating emoticlone—Rage. "If I did such a good job, why the hell are you attacking me?"

"Because not all of Raven's emotions know what's best for her."

"And you do?" he asked incredulously as she came at him with a right hook. He blocked it and ducked under the left fist that came swinging at his ear.

He missed the knee that came barreling up into his gut.

"I protect her," Rage said as he buckled over, clutching his ribs. "And sometimes that means from herself."

He swept his arm against the back of her ankles, knocking her backward against the rocky ground. "You don't need to protect her from me."

Rage rolled to her feet, facing off against him once more. "I especially need to protect her from you."

His defensive stance fell, his arms dropping to his sides. He stood gaping at her, confused. "Why? Why would you ever need to protect her from me?"

Rage took advantage of his distraction. She kicked his kneecap out, dropping him to his knees before her. "Because you're fickle." When he opened his mouth to protest, she glared and spoke over him. "You don't know how to be serious. You're immature. You're…messy."

She spread the palm of her right hand and a ball of black and purple magic formed there. "One day you're going to grow bored of this relationship thing. You're going to end it. You're going to leave her broken. More broken than Trigon ever did. More broken than Malchior left her. More broken than when you called her creepy. You are going to destroy Raven. I can't stand by and let that happen."

Garfield glared up at her, not even bothering to defend himself. Nothing could hurt worse than the accusations she'd just flung at him. "That's never going to happen."

"You don't know that!" She hurled the ball of magic at him, catching him in the chest. It blew him backward through the air. He would have come crashing down to the ground, but she tightened her fist in the air, holding him suspended in an imaginary grasp. "You don't know that," she repeated forcefully.

"I…I do," he croaked out, clawing at the invisible fingers that wrapped around his throat. "I would never…hurt her."

"All men say that."

"I…mean it." He struggled against her grasp, wondering if Raven would allow Rage to do real harm to him.

"This week you mean it." She tightened her grip around his throat. "But next week? The week after that?" She shook her head. "I just can't risk it. You're too unreliable. You lack commitment."

Something about her last sentence sent a tremor through him. Then he realized why. Commitment. "Look…look in my right pocket."

Rage frowned. "Why?"

"Just…look. Look in the pocket."

She stepped cautiously forward. From where she had him suspended, she had to reach her arm up to head level in order to dig inside his pocket. Her fingers curled around the small box and she retrieved it.

Pulling it toward her, she stared at the small, unassuming velvet-covered box in her palm, her expression perplexed. Concentration broken, she released her hold on him and Garfield collapsed to the ground. "What is this?" she asked.

He rubbed at his sore throat, not bothering to get up from his knees. "Open it."

The instant she peeled back the lid of the box, the anger washed away from her face. It was replaced by a thoroughly stunned expression. "This…this is an engagement ring."

"It is."

Her gaze sought his. "You… You're going to ask her to marry you?"

"I am."

The fight drained out of her. Rage gaped at him and the box dropped from her fingers.

Garfield lunged forward and just managed to catch it before it hit the dirt. "Careful. This thing was expensive." He climbed cautiously to his feet, his gaze warily locked onto hers. "So can you stop fighting me, now? I'm not going to break things off with her. Ever. I love Raven. I promise you that."

Rage pressed her lips together, and he could tell it was a struggle for her to go against her nature. But finally, she nodded. "Fine," she said tersely. "You win. For now." She took a step back, putting distance between them. "But I warn you, Garfield Logan, if you ever hurt her…I'll be the one to come find you."

He swallowed thickly but nodded his head in acknowledgement. "Noted."

"Don't give me reason to come find you," she snarled.

"Wouldn't dream of it." He watched her storm off, her red cloak billowing behind her. "Hey, if at all possible, could you not tell Raven about the whole engagement ring thing? I kind of wanted it to be a surprise!"

She flipped him the middle finger in response, not even bothering to turn around.

He frowned, unsure of what that response meant...unsure of what he should do next, where he should go next. He almost followed, but he was certain that wouldn't end well for him. No, he wasn't meant to follow Rage. Raven's next personality wouldn't be introduced by Rage. It would come from—

"I'm right behind you."

Brow rising, Garfield spun to find a yellow-clad version of Raven. "How did you know I was wondering…"

"The uncertain expression on your face," Knowledge said with the hint of a smile. "The way your foot shuffled in her direction but then stopped and pulled back. You were wondering if you should follow. You obviously decided against it. And your confused expression let on that you were wondering exactly where I would be coming from."

"It always amazes me how smart you are."

"It shouldn't." She paused, staring at Rage's retreating figure. "She'll keep the engagement ring thing a secret. Just so you know."

"So you can keep things a secret from Raven. That's useful…if a little alarming."

"We can make her forget about things. At least for a few hours. It's nothing permanent, but we have the ability to protect her from her own reality or emotions for a little while by distracting her. It's a defense mechanism." She shot him a sideways look. "Though we don't often shield exciting news from her. It's kind of the opposite of what we're here for."

He nodded, kicking at a pebble. He knew there was a conversation they needed to have, but he felt awkward just jumping into it. On the other hand, it wasn't like this was a social visit. "So what's your take on this whole engagement thing, since the cat is now out of the bag. What does Knowledge have to say about all of this?"

She kicked at a pebble of her own with a shake of her head. "I feel like I want to be excited about it."

"That's good."

She turned to gaze at him, her expression grim. "But I can't."

His heart sank at this confession. The smartest parts of Raven were telling her to run. It didn't give a guy much confidence. No, quite the opposite. It was a harsh blow to the ego. "Can I ask why not?"

Knowledge shrugged. "Have you seen divorce statistics lately? And those are of people who don't have the added stress of being super heroes. The odds are not in your favor, Garfield."

"You're worried about marriage statistics?" he asked in surprise.

"Not just marriage statistics, but super hero life expectancies." She frowned, her brows knitting together. "Do you know how few super heroes get that happy ending? It's more often that the stress of their lives tears them apart. Or one of them dies in combat and the other never recovers. Raven has lost so much already. I'm not sure she would survive your death." She shrugged a shoulder. "Sometimes it's just easier to let go of the things you love so they can't hurt you. The deeper she falls, the worse it will be when she loses you."

"That's bullshit."

Knowledge blinked at him, obviously astonished at being challenged. She was used to being the smartest one in the room, so being told she was wrong came as a surprise. He could see it in those intelligent eyes.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. I said that's bullshit."

She blinked at him, her mouth gaping ever so slightly. It would have been adorable had he not been so irritated at her.

"You can't live your life by the statics of others." He reached out and grabbed her hand, placing it against his heart. "I don't care what other people do. I don't care what other people think. I know how I feel and that's all that should matter."

"But—"

"But nothing. Listen, Knowledge, I've spent a great portion of my life alone, aching for family. Aching for someone to give a shit about me. I hid the pain behind jokes. I pretended like everything was perfectly fine. But you know it wasn't—Raven knows it wasn't."

He held her hand against his heart, not letting her tug away. "I know she's not just with me because I can make her laugh. I know that's a perk, but it's not the deeper, more meaningful reason." He shook his head. "She's seen past my walls. She knows how badly I just want someone to love. How badly I want someone to love me in return. We both have a shitty history when it comes to family. When we finally found someone else who understood that, who was able to love the mess we are unconditionally…we both knew we'd never let go."

He tightened his grip on her fingers. "So I don't care about statistics. I don't care what your books say. I don't care what anyone else says. Facts on a sheet can't possibly understand the way I feel. It can't understand just how desperately I will fight to keep what's important to me."

He knew he was winning the conversation by the softening of her eyes, the tenderness he saw there. Raven (and Knowledge) might be clinical in thinking at times, but sometimes statistics on a piece of paper just didn't matter.

"As for super hero life expectancy…" He shook his head. "I'm too far gone anyway. I can't lose you. So I'm not going to. Simple as that." He knew he could never promise this, that life by definition was unpredictable, but he was fairly certain he'd gotten across just how much he would fight for her. "We both know some super heroes that died and refused to accept that as the end. They came back. I know I would too. I'd claw my way back from hell to you. I promise you that."

Knowledge's hand balled into a fist against his chest and she swallowed thickly. Tears brimming in her eyes, she merely bobbed her head in understanding, in agreement.

"Fuck statistics. It's you and me. Til the end."

"Fuck statistics," she whispered back. Then, being the version of Raven she was, her eyes widened at such a blasphemous comment.

He chuckled and sent her an affectionate smile. "I won't tell anyone you said that." He lifted her knuckles to his lips and brushed a kiss against them. "Now, if you don't mind, I see someone else waiting for me." He bobbed his head in the direction of a large pillar, where another version of Raven hid.

She peeked at him from around the pillar, then ducked out of sight.

Knowledge followed his gaze, her head cocked thoughtfully to the side. "Timidity," she informed him with a little frown. "You might have to go find her. She'll hide back there all night."

He nodded. "I figured as much." He shot a wink at Timidity when she peeked around the pillar at him. Chuckling as she ducked away again, he returned his gaze to Knowledge. "So are we good?" He held a fist out to her, looking for a bump.

She blinked at him in astonishment, as if she couldn't believe what he was asking of her.

He chuckled again and raised an eyebrow at her. "You really gonna leave me hanging?"

Tentatively, she lifted her fist and ever so gently tapped it against his. "We're…uh…we're good."

"That's my girl. I knew you were the smart one for a reason."

She rolled her eyes at this. "I think you're well aware that we all have a soft spot for you. I'm not special in that." She pulled her fist back and crossed her arms around her stomach, staring at him contemplatively. "Statistically, you shouldn't have been able to pull this off. But you seem to defy all statistics, so…" She smiled wryly and shook her head. "Rage was really the only defense we had." She shrugged. "But you won her over. After you had her, I think you knew how this was going to shake out."

"So if we all know how this is going to end, why do I have to go through all of you? Can't I just see Raven now?"

Knowledge shook her head. "Even though Raven knows how this is leaning, she needs time to process it. She needs you to convince all of her." She frowned. "I know that's not fair to ask of you, but—"

"Raven's worth it," he said, cutting her off. "Don't worry about it." He shrugged. "When we started dating, I knew there was a lot of emotional baggage with her. Hell, there was a lot of emotional baggage on my end as well. That comes with this life. Doesn't mean it's not worth the effort to move beyond our troubled pasts and heal."

Knowledge smiled slightly and placed a hand against his cheek. "Sometimes I think you're wiser than even I am."

Garfield grinned. "Nah. I'm just a dumb goofball who gets lucky occasionally."

"I think we both know that's not true." She arched her brow at him pointedly. "You need to take more credit for the positive qualities you bring to us." Her lips curved into a little smiled and she nodded in the direction of Timidity. "She's waiting for you. Go convince Raven's timid side that you're the real deal. Good luck. But I don't think you're going to need it."

Gar nodded, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. He was almost there. He had a few more parts of Raven to convince until he could get to the prize—the girl he loved. "All right. Time to knock 'er down."

With determination in his step, he headed toward the pillar Timidity hid behind.

When she saw him approaching, she gave a yip and hid behind her stone column.

He walked around it, coming to stand in front of her.

She had her back pressed against the rock surface, as if she could sink into it, and her eyes were wide with alarm.

"Hey," he said gently. He didn't come any closer and tried his hardest to adopt a casual, non-threatening stance. "Can I ask why you're hiding from me?"

"You…you intimidate me."

Those were the last words he would have ever expected to come out of Raven's mouth. He knew this wasn't the whole product, but this was a part of her. Her emotions didn't represent things that she didn't already feel. They were just perhaps exaggerated versions of those feelings.

"I…I intimidate you?" Nothing intimidated Raven. Nothing. She was the strongest person he knew. And he was probably the least threatening super hero of all time.

Timidity bobbed her head in confirmation of his question, eyeing him warily.

"Why? How? How could I ever intimidate you? You're so strong."

She ducked her face, hiding her eyes. "Your temperament is intimidating," she confessed. She looked up at him finally, her gaze troubled. "Your positivity. Your sense of humor. Your…goodness. It frightens me at times. It makes me fear I'm not virtuous enough, that I don't deserve to be with someone so happy, so…good." She wrapped her arms around her waist, curling in around herself. "How could a half demon ever deserve to be with someone like you?"

He gaped at her in shock. "I think you have me up on a pedestal that I don't deserve."

She shook her head in disagreement. "After everything you've been through, you're so positive still. You're so honorable and moral. You don't let things get to you like I do. You're funny and you have a good outlook on life. You—"

"I hide my pain better." He grabbed her arms and unfolded them, pulling him toward her. "It doesn't mean I don't have the same fears as you, or dark thoughts. It doesn't mean I don't have bad days." He pulled her into a hug. "You don't ever have to be intimidated by me. We're a team. It's not a competition. If you have a bad day, I'm here for you. And when I crumble, I trust you'll be there for me. That's how this works."

She tucked her face in against his chest. "You just seem so out of my league."

He couldn't help it. He burst into laughter at that. "I'm out of your league?" He shook his head in amusement. "Sweetheart, you have no idea how opposite to the truth that is." He snickered. "The first four months we dated Cy reminded me daily how totally out of my league you were. He said you had to be under some sort of evil spell, that you'd eventually shake off whatever influence you were under and dump my dumb butt."

She lifted her head again, gazing up at him. "Cyborg always gives you crap, so that doesn't really mean much."

"He wasn't wrong. I also kept waiting for you to wise up and dump me. I kept waiting to mess things up or annoy you one too many times. I spent the first few months of our relationship intimidated by you. You were like a goddess who'd somehow granted someone of little importance all of her affection. Some days I'm still intimidated by how gorgeous you are, how completely damn sexy. I keep wondering why you're with a silly looking guy like me. Seriously."

"So what you're telling me is that we both find each other intimidating at times?" The look in her eyes was hopeful, as if she felt better knowing she wasn't alone.

"A thousand percent yes." He shrugged, tugging her tighter to him. "I think that's the way it is with all relationships. You don't have to worry though. If you ever start to feel intimidated by me, just remember you've seen me get tangled up in my own underwear and trip, bashing my nose off the floor. Nothing intimidating about that."

Timidity smirked. "That was rather amusing."

"So always remember that—we're a team. And I'm way more intimidated by you than you are me."

She nodded, leaning her head against his shoulder. "Okay." She clung tightly to him and inhaled deeply, as if she was trying to immerse herself in his scent, his embrace. "I'll try to help her remember that."

He stood hugging her for a long moment, reveling in the feel of her warm in his arms. He was so close to finishing this, so close to winning Raven over. He just needed to be patient a little while longer.

"So is it my turn with him?"

The chipper voice had Timidity raising her head. Her eyes widened at who she found standing there, and then a blush touched her cheeks. "He…he's all yours."

Garfield followed her gaze and a surprised smile touched his lips. "Passion."

Timidity unraveled herself from his arms and took two big steps back. "I'll leave you two alone." She scurried off, pausing only to cast a bashful glance over her shoulder at them.

Garfield waved after her before spinning to face Passion. "You're the last resistance?" he asked in amusement. Passion had always liked him, even before he and Raven started dating. It was like her secret desires for him surfaced when Passion made an appearance. Like deep down she'd always known they had a romantic connection just waiting to be unleashed.

Her lips curled into a coy smile as she approached him. "Or maybe I'm the reward for convincing the rest of them."

"I like the sound of that," he said as she seamlessly melted into his arms.

She gazed up at him, her purple eyes swimming with amusement. "I figured you would."

He felt the stiffness ease out of his shoulders as Passion slid a hand up his chest. When she got into a mood like this, Raven could erase every little bit of tension from him. She could lower his every defense.

Her lips found his and he responded, sinking into the sensation. His arms curved around her waist, tugging her closer.

She willingly molded against him, her hands sliding up his chest, over his shoulders, and around his neck. She deepened the kiss, her mouth moving sensually along his. A soft sound of desire escaped her, and it drew a growl from deep within his chest.

He tugged her lower body closer, fitting her against him in a way only she'd ever fit.

She gave a small whimper before one of her hands slid back down to his chest and she gave him a little shove, pushing him down onto a large boulder that sat behind him.

He collapsed onto it and she followed, climbing onto his lap, straddling his waist. Her hands were suddenly on his face, caressing his cheeks, guiding his mouth to hers. She made a soft cooing sound and rocked her hips into his.

Garfield groaned into her mouth. He tilted his head back so she could better lean over him and arched his hips up ever so slightly. After all the months he'd been with Raven, it still aroused him deep down to his bones to simply kiss her.

He grabbed her hips, pulling her down onto him, growling again. She echoed his expression of need, the sounds between them erotic and primal. He wanted her so badly. He always wanted her. She was like an addiction. She had the ability to make him forget everything else.

Last resistance. Lower his defenses. Ability to make him forget everything else. Those thoughts echoed warningly in his brain. He yanked his mouth away from hers, pulling back. "Are you distracting me?" he asked in astonishment.

Her lips quirked. "Maybe. Is it working?" She slipped a hand between them, gripping him through the front of his slacks.

His eyes practically rolled into the back of his head, but he somehow managed to keep his focus. "It was," he said with a groan.

"Then let it continue to." She squeezed him, making a sound of desire. She leaned forward, nibbling at his bottom lip. "You know you want to."

He squeezed his eyes tightly shut, trying to focus on something other than the fact that she was gripping his dick. "I…I want to see Raven."

"I am Raven."

"You're a part of her. I want the whole thing."

"I am willing to give you the whole thing," she whispered suggestively into his ear.

With much effort, Garfield wrapped a hand gently around her wrist and peeled her hand away from his crotch. "Stop stalling for her. I want to see Raven. All of her."

Passion sat back, her hands falling to her sides as she abandoned her assault. "You really do love her, don't you?"

"I do." He closed his hand over hers. "More than anything. So could you please, please get her for me?"

Lifting her free hand, she stroked it down the side of his cheek. "It would have been fun to fool around with you." She sighed and dropped her hand away. "But you're right. It's time the two of you had a talk." She climbed off of his lap, putting some distance between them. "Good luck, Garfield."

"Thanks." He closed his eyes and took a calming, centering breath. When he reopened them, Passion was gone and in her place stood Raven, the real Raven. Only… He blinked in surprise at finding her in a glowing white cloak and uniform.

Slowly, he climbed to his feet and gawked at her. "This is what happens when you're like perfectly balanced, right?" He waved a hand at her changed color scheme, in awe of how at peace she looked, how calm.

She nodded ever so slowly, a little smile touching her lips. "Perfectly balanced. The perfect version of me. You did this. You brought it out."

Garfield stared at her and was surprised to find he felt almost…sad. Puzzled by this, he studied his girlfriend. She looked so happy, so peaceful, but… "I don't want the perfect version of you," he said with a shake of his head.

"What?" Her tone was one of surprise. Her expression became puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"The perfect version of you. I don't want that. I don't want you to be perfect. I want…" He waved a hand in the air. "I want your flaws. I want your bad days. I was your insecurities and your worries. I don't want you to be perfect. I want you to be Raven—my Raven. I love all of her imperfections. They make her—you…human."

She blinked at him, silent for a long moment. Then, finally, she said, "You don't want this version of me? You want the…flawed one?"

"I do. I love the flawed one. And I think she loves me too."

Raven gave a little nod of her head and took a small step back.

One moment, she was wearing white. The next, she was back to her usual self, the Raven he knew. Her eyes were filled with insecurity and she wrapped her arms around her waist. "Gar…" She waved a hand at herself. "How could you prefer this to—"

He didn't give her a chance to finish that sentence. Instead, he swooped forward and silenced her with a kiss. He put every single emotion he felt for her into that kiss. And when she softened against him, he knew that she understood.

He pulled back, feeling breathless. His heart pounded in his chest, so hard he worried she could hear it. This was it. This was the moment. He knew it deep down to his very soul.

"Garfield," she whispered. But this time it wasn't with insecurity. Her voice was full of emotion, full of love.

Bursting with determination, he reached into his pocket, pulled out the ring box, and dropped to a knee in front of her. "Marry me." It wasn't a question. It was a statement.

"What?" Her purple eyes had widened larger than he'd ever seen them. He knew his request had come as a shock. It was too soon to be thinking about such things. But he didn't care. He knew what his heart wanted. And that was Raven.

Sucking in a breath, he tried again, this time attempting to phrase it as a request instead of a demand. "Will you marry me?" He peeled back the lid of the small velvet box in his palm and displayed the ring nestled there to her. "I've been carrying this around with me for weeks, waiting for the right moment."

"You want to marry me?"

He nodded, feeling sweat beading on his palms. He'd never been more nervous in his life. He'd witnessed many horrors. He'd faced innumerable bad guys. But this moment here terrified him. "More than anything." He offered her a weak grin. "So what do you say, Raven? Will you marry me?"

Tears welled in her eyes and she bobbed her head emphatically. "Yes." The single word came out a small whisper and she was quick to repeat herself. "Yes. Of course!"

With shaking hands, he slid the ring onto her finger, taking pride in the way it looked on her delicate hand. He'd chosen wisely. His ring looked right at home on her finger, like it was always meant to be there.

She slipped her hand out of his and stared at the ring for a moment, as if she couldn't believe what had just happened. He understood how she felt, because he couldn't believe it either. Slowly, she lowered her hand, her gaze shifting to him instead. And a smile spread across her lips.

Bending over, she placed a hand at the back of his neck and brought her lips to his for a kiss. Instead of pulling away when it ended, she dropped to her knees beside him and gave him another kiss, her lips firm and passionate against his. She curled herself around him, hugging herself against his chest while she explored his mouth with her own. When she finally pulled back, her breath escaped her in a shuddering exhale. "I can't believe you proposed to me. This is insane."

"I can't believe it either," he said with a little chuckle. "I can't believe you said yes."

"Of course I said yes," she said, pressing her forehead to his and nuzzling against him. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. I'd be crazy not to." She then closed her eyes, taking a slow breath as she centered herself. She was still for a long moment, taking in the peace around them. When her eyes finally blinked back open, she gazed into his and whispered, "I'm sorry I freaked out. I'm not used to feeling so many emotions. Sometimes I get overwhelmed and I lose my cool. It doesn't mean I'm not one hundred percent committed to this relationship. I just sometimes need a few minutes to settle my nerves and remind myself of how amazing you are to me."

"You don't have to apologize to me for being human. We all get nervous sometimes." He smirked. "As long as you were serious about having a litter of green-skinned babies with me, I don't care how long you need to compose yourself after such a confession."

She laughed at this, her eyes crinkling in the corners with amusement. "A litter of green-skinned babies?" She rolled her eyes. "I'm not signing on for a litter, but one might be nice…or two," she conceded.

"Yeah?" Excitement filled him at the possibility of a family—a real family. A daughter with Raven's beautiful eyes but his ability to shapeshift, a son with fangs and pointed ears but Raven's pale skin. An endless possibility of combinations flitted through his mind and he loved each one more than the last.

"Yeah," she whispered, bobbing her head in answer. "I think that sounds pretty nice."

He swooped in and kissed her, his hands cupping her face. "I love you."

"I love you too, Gar." She sat back on her heels. Taking his hand in hers, she gazed at him with eyes full of love. "This is going to be one hell of a ride."

"It sure it," he said, tightening his hand around hers. "And I don't want to miss a single moment of it."

"Not a single moment."

As he sat gazing at her, he knew they were going to be just fine. Raven was his everything and he was happy to spend the rest of his life proving it to her. "Let's get started on this happily ever after."

She smiled at him. "I thought you'd never ask."

And he vowed silently to himself that was what it would be—happily ever after. The two of them. Until the end. He and Raven. The perfect pair. There was no doubt in his mind.

The End.

Thank you so much to everyone who has stuck by this story for a year. An entire year! I appreciate each and every one of you, and I hope the ending was fulfilling. I had so much fun writing it. I love these characters. BBRae forever!