Chapter 5

Raven did a half run through the college's parking lot to her black 1968 Mustang. It had been Victor's 18th birthday present to her 5 years ago. He had saved it from being scraped from parts at a junkyard and had spent several months fixing it up because when he saw it he just knew it was such a "Raven" car.

Although she appreciated the gift at the time, Raven questioned why she would ever need a car. Now that she was in school and didn't want to raise suspicion by teleporting everywhere, she greatly appreciated the gift and took decent care of it.

Raven quickly climbed into the passenger's seat and started her car. She had lost track of time studying and she didn't want to break her promise to Nora.

….

Becca had been sitting in the infant room waiting with the last two kids of the day, Nora and Natalie. Becca reviewed the message that had been left on the ipad through the parent communication app. "Garfield Logan will be picking up the girls today, please add him to the pick up list."

The name Garfield Logan sounded super familiar to Becca but she couldn't place how. I mean, he was an actor but she couldn't think of what she had seen him in.

The doorbell rang to the front of the daycare and Becca buzzed in the mystery person. 'Well I guess I'm gonna find out who it is now' She thought while telling Nora to clean up to get ready to go home.

The door to the infant room swung open and both adults looked at each other in shock.

"Jesus Christ" they said in unison.

Becca suddenly remembered where she had heard the name Garfield Logan and it wasn't from TV, it was from Raven. Becca was staring down into the eyes of the shapeshifting former Titan, Beast Boy.

Garfield lifted his head to look up at the infant teacher. That was the tallest woman he had ever seen in real life besides Rita, and Gar was pretty sure this lady was just a civilian.

The two stared at each other in shocked silence until the door chimed again and in burst Raven in the doorway bent over and panting, "I'm not too late am I?"

"RAVEN?!" Gar yelped.

Raven suddenly stood straight, "GARFIELD?!"

"RAVEN!" cheered Nora running to the empath and clinging to her leg.

"GGAHHH!" Screeched Natalie, adding to the noise.

Becca clasped her hands over her mouth tears beginning to form at her eyes beneath her tinted glasses, "I'm gonna be a rich lesbian aunt after all…"

"Ok, who would like to explain what's going on?"
"I'm here to pick up these kids," Gar explained, pointing to Nora and Natalie. "Why are you here and why does that little girl know you?"

Raven sighed and looked away, refusing to make eye contact, "I work here."

Gar stared at his former teammate in shock "Raven oh my god…"

"Listen it's actually-"

"I'm on punk'd!" he said incredulously with delight in his eyes.
"Gar...no you're not."

Garfield began looking for hidden cameras.

Becca nodded in approval, "I like him, he's stupid."

Raven shot Becca a deadly look before returning her attention back to Gar.

"Garfield you are not being pranked!"

"It's OK Rae, you don't have to pretend anymore, I kn-"

"GAR PUNK'D HASN'T BEEN ON THE AIR IN OVER 10 YEARS!"

Gar stood in his tracks frozen. She was right, it hadn't been but that would mean…

"No Way!"

"Yes Gar, I really work here," Raven admitted, throwing her hands out to the sides.

"Whatever happened to, "I don't do babysitting" he said, referring to her time with Melvin, Timmy, and Teether.

"First of all, I got way better about kids after that and second of all, I'm a broke college student."

"Oh yeah, how's school going by the way? Your hair looks really nice all short like that."

"Garfield, I do not have the time nor the patience for your ADHD today."

Becca slid between the pair and stuck her hand out to the green man. "Hi Becca. I'm her best friend."

"Oh, uh nice to meet you!" he replied, shaking from the strength of her handshake.

"Becca" Raven warned "I don't have time for your ADHD either!"

Becca turned on Raven and lowered her voice to a harsh whisper

"You better play nice Raven, my future nieces and nephews are at stake!"

"Becca I will send you to the eighth level of hell if you keep up your bullshit."

"Well that is unfortunate because I am constantly and consistently always on my bullshit."

Raven rolled her eyes and pushed Becca out of the way to talk to the changeling.

"So how did you get roped into this?"

Gar rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "It's a long story but let's just say my director sucks."

"Yeah well, mom's no peach either," Becca grumbled.

Raven smacked a hand to her face, "Hey guys…" she said gesturing to Nora and Natalie listening to the conversation.

"Are you talking about my mommy and daddy?" Nora asked.

Becca and Gar immediately began backtracking on their words,

"No, no not your parents uh…."

"No uh, there's a different director not your dad, uh someone elses dad, well wait no ones dad, I mean um…"

As the two rambled on both in their own little world, Raven rubbed her temples in annoyance. It had been a long day and she just wanted to go home now. In the midst of Gar and Becca's panicked babbling, Raven turned to Nora and got down to her level.

"Told ya, I'd be back."

The girl gave Raven a hug around the neck and then turned to look at Becca and Becca who were still talking.

"Raven, I don't wanna go with him, I don't know that man."

Raven could feel the emotions coming off the child in waves, the sour taste of fear and anxiety, the bitterness of helplessness and loneliness, all mixed together with the sharp taste of abandonment. It was almost enough to make you cry, and she found herself shocked that Nora wasn't crying in the first place. Raven attempted to comfort her.

"You know Nora, he's actually an old friend of mine."

"Really?"

"Yep and he's super nice, funny and he likes to play games…"

Becca's voice started trailing off as she realized Nora was no longer listening and started hearing what Raven was saying.

Oh there was no doubt about it to Becca, there was definitely something still there between the two and by god she was going to exploit it.

"Moving on," Becca interjected "Raven can you handle the rest of this so I can start closing the center?

Raven rolled her eyes, "I'm off the clock,and isn't there someone else here tonight?"

Becca narrowed her eyes, "No serenity remember? I have to close this whole place down by myself and you know how much that sucks."

Raven did know how much that sucked and that it could take Becca over an hour to get it all done.

Raven sighed, "Fine, go, but you owe me for volunteer work."

"I'll buy you sushi tomorrow, how's that sound?"

Raven considered the offer for a moment, "I'll take it" she said.

With that Becca went skipping down the hall humming the wedding march.

Gar looked down the hall at the tall woman as she disappeared into a classroom. "Is she ok?"

"No, but that's normal for her."

She turned to the counter in the infant room, grabbed the Ipad and started scrolling through Natalie's daily report.

"Ok, so Nat's last bottle was at 5 and she had a diaper change right after so she should be good to go." Raven picked up the babbling baby to give to Gar and he suddenly looked terrified. He didn't realize how tiny this baby was until he got a good look at her. Raven was only a solid 5'5" on a good day and this baby looked teeny tiny in her arms as she started gently cradling her. Raven caught Gar's nervous stare.

"You do know how to take care of a baby right?"

"Uh- not really, not like a little baby like that."

Raven sighed, "Make sure you support her head when holding her."

Gar moved back and held his hands up like she was holding a gun instead of a baby.

"Why?"

"What do you mean-She doesn't have developed neck muscles Gar."

"SHE DOESN'T HAVE NECK MUSCLES?!"

Raven threw her head back and closed her eyes begging god to get her out of this nightmare. She knew what she had to do, but oh god she did not want to do it.

She sighed, "OK, you clearly cannot do this on your own. I'm coming with you, BUT just this one time so pay attention to everything I show you tonight, got it?"

Gar's ears perked up in relief.

"Thank god, you're a lifesaver Rae!"

Raven gently placed Natalie in the car seat on the floor.

"Here, strap Nat in while Nora and I go grab her backpack."

"Uh-ok…" Gar crouched down over the baby. There were several straps and buckles all splayed out to the sides of the carseat. He had no fucking clue what he was doing. First he to snap the top buckles together but then nothing would connect to the bottom buckle, then he tried the two bottom buckles but they wouldn't go in together, then the baby kept trying to put the straps in her mouth and then-

Raven suddenly appeared behind him with Nora in tow.

"Do you need help?" the empath cocked an eyebrow at him.

Gar looked at her pleadingly, "Yes please."

Raven somehow easily started snapping things together while explaining what she was doing, but Gar was not listening.

'Wow, today really turned around! I don't have to take care of a baby by myself, and I get to hang out with Raven. Oh god, I missed her. I can't wait to catch up and she looks so cute with the pixie cut and maybe this is our second chance at something, it has to be destiny or-'

"Are even listening to me?" Raven stood up hands on her hips.

"Uh yeah, that part is the chest clip and it goes over the chest," Gar said, repeating the last thing she said.

Raven narrowed her eyes, "...OK…"

'Good she bought it'

Nora was bouncing up and down in delight after realizing Raven was going home with her.

"Alright, here you go" Raven said, handing the car seat to Gar.

Gar stepped back again nervously.

"Oh no you don't" she said putting the handle in his hand, "you're not gonna learn anything by avoiding it. Now get her in the car, while I get Nora and her car seat in, I'll be right here if you need any help."

Gar looked at Raven in earnest, "Thanks Rae, you really don't know how much your help means to me."

Raven's heart attempted to skip a beat on his confession but she beat that feeling down into submission and maintained her composure.

"This is a one time deal Garfield, don't forget that."

The changeling threw up his hands in defense.

"I know, I know, you've made that perfectly clear."

Raven got Nora settled into her car seat and buckled in and then helped Gar get Natalie positioned in the car correctly after several corrections and failed attempts.

Raven sighed after seeing what she saw with Gar today she could only hope that this would be her only time helping him, he was kind of a lost cause in terms of the baby.

Raven climbed into the passenger's seat and buckled herself in while Gar did the same on his side, and within moments they found themselves on the road.

Author's note: Ok so apparently I lied about the next chapter taking a while to come out. Chapter 5 was going to be like 20 pages and it was getting overwhelming trying to fit all the events into one mega chapter so I decided to split it up. So the cute fluff is coming, you just gotta be patient. Now chapter 6 might take a little bit because that isn't even finished in my journal yet which means it's gonna take longer to get out on the computer. Hopefully this tides you all over until then!