OK, I have a quick update. I hope you enjoy it.

-(-)-

Raven's dark hemisphere rose from the floor in Changeling's room. Even though they couple spent a lot of time together and would sometimes sleep together, they still had their separate rooms. Gar kept his room reasonable clean, since Raven did spend a lot of time in his room. As the black hemisphere vanished, she saw him lying in his king sized bed, reading a book: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which he set aside when he heard the tell tale hum.

"You're back! So, how did it go?"

She climbed into his bed, resting next to him.

"It went well. I was even assigned homework." She said as she handed him the book Steve gave to her.

"Relationships and Why They Fail … Rave, should I be worried?"

She rolled her eyes. "The objective is that we not fail, doofus."

He sat up and opened the book. The first chapter was titled 'Jealousy'. He showed it to her."I know I'm not supposed to ask, but did you guys talk about Jill?"

"You're right; you're not supposed to ask. But no, we didn't. Today's session was an introduction."

He closed the book and handed it back to her. He sighed as she could sense some apprehension in him.

"I will talk with him about her."

"I'm sorry, Rave. I wish I hadn't been with her, since it bothers you so much."

"You have nothing to apologize for. We weren't a couple back then. It's me. One thing though, you've never told me why she broke up with you."

He plopped back into his pillow.

"She was jealous of you. She said I spent more time with you than with her."

She frowned. "You never told us. You never told me."

"Yeah, I didn't. I guess I didn't know what to do. I mean, I'm a Titan, we're teammates and we live here at the Tower. She asked me to move in with her and I said I couldn't. That's when she dumped me."

Raven nodded. "I see. Is that why you've not moved in with me?"

He shrugged. "Maybe, kinda, I don't know. I mean, I know that you sometimes need your space."

"Yeah, I do. But we're getting married. We will live together then."

He looked at her. "I read that married couples used to have separate rooms. That sharing a room is kind of modern thing."

"Is that what you want to do, Gar?"

"Uh, not really."

"Me neither. I guess that's one more thing to talk with Steve about. I hate to say this, but my list is long, longer than I would like. And there are some big issues on that list, things you don't know about."

"And you're not ready to talk with me about them?"

She nodded. "Nope, not yet … so … are you sure you still want to marry me?"

"If you're trying to wiggle out of our engagement …"

She sat up. "I'm not; I'm just worried that you might want to back out."

"And why would I do that?"

She lay back down, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Because I'm me." She whispered.

-(-)-

Steve Dunn checked his watch before poring boiling water into a mug with a tea bag in it. He set a 3 minute timer and when it rang he removed the teabag, tossing it into the trash. That was when he heard the hum in his office. He picked up the mug and turned around. Raven stood in his "counseling room", with the babbling electric waterfall.

He looked at the young woman and smiled. He had seen the gray Titan many times on TV, but this was the second time he saw her in person. She was very petite, barely over feet tall. He also noticed that she was very shapely and well toned. Her gray complexion was unique, maybe even odd, but he didn't think it distracted from her beauty.

"I made you some tea." He greeted her.

She lowered her hood and accepted the mug from him. "Thank you."

He gestured for her to sit. She once again chose the couch. She took a sip from the mug before setting it down on a coaster on the coffee table. He noticed that she had the book he gave her tucked under her arm.

"Did you have a chance to read some of it?"

She placed the book on the table. "All of it."

"You read the whole thing? I'm impressed."

"Well, reading is kind of my hobby, though self help books aren't on my reading list."

"Did you find it interesting?"

"I did. And I think I identified what I would like to discuss today: jealousy."

"Excellent. So, do you mean jealousy that you feel, or is your fiancé the jealous one?"

Raven reached into her cape and produced a photographic print. She handed it to him.

"Me, I'm the jealous one."

Dunn looked at the photo. It was of changeling standing next to a shapely brunette. He had also done his homework regarding his very unusual patient. He spent an evening at home researching the Titans. To his dismay he discovered that there was a whole wiki dedicated to them, titled 'Titans Watch'. He focused on the team members, especially Raven and Changeling. He immediately recognized the woman in the photo. She was Jillian Jackson. If the wiki was accurate she and Garfield were former lovers, until she broke things off with him.

He looked up from the photo. "This is Jillian Jackson, right?"

Raven nodded. "I see you've done your research."

"I have. From what I read online, she broke up with Changeling a few years ago."

"That's right. And before you ask, yes, I'm jealous that she used to be Gar's girlfriend, even though I have no right to be jealous."

"Feeling jealousy isn't a question of whether or not you have a right. You can't control how you feel. You can't turn it off and on with a switch."

"Yeah, that's what the book said. It also said that I need to confront why I feel jealous."

"So, have you thought about it?"

She slouched.

"It wasn't easy. Dealing with feelings and emotions has always been hard for me. I didn't grow up on Earth, Steve; I was raised on a world called Azarath, by monks and nuns. They taught me to repress and control my feelings."

"Why did they do that? Repressing feelings isn't a healthy thing to do."

Raven conjured some of her Eldritch power, which danced like a flame in the palm of her hand.

"My powers are tied to my emotions. If I lose control of my emotions my powers can cause a lot of harm and damage. But I've made progress. I can feel strongly without losing control."

"I see … just how strongly can you feel now?"

Raven blushed and turned away.

"It's OK if you aren't comfortable sharing that."

She turned back to him. "No, if I'm to make progress, I need to be open … for the longest time I feared sexual intimacy, because I was afraid that I would lose control … but now, now I can … I sleep with Gar … not every night but; well, often."

"I can see that was not easy for you to share."

She face palmed. "I can't believe I confessed to you that I engage in premarital sex ... you must think …"

"Don't worry, Raven, my role is not to judge, so I won't. Anyway, let's get back to the jealousy and how Jillian is linked to it."

Raven heaved a deep sigh. "I'll get straight to the point. I'm jealous that Gar used to sleep with her."

He shrugged. "That's understandable. Has Gar seen her since they broke up or ever hinted at missing her?"

"No, never. Steve, the logical side of my brain knows that he is 100% faithful to me. He never talks about her. He threw away the letters she wrote to him. He doesn't have any pictures of her, the one you're holding, I borrowed that from Starfire."

He nodded. "So why do you think you feel jealous?"

She pursed her lips and he heard her choke back a sob. He offered her some tissue paper, but she declined, waving it away with her hand..

"Look at me and look at her."

"I think you need to be more specific, Raven."

She snatched the photo from him. Gar went through his "teen stretch" later than most and he now stood at least nine inches taller than Raven. In the photo Jill was as tall as Gar.

"I'm short, I'm gray and my hair is purple. Look at her! She's tall, leggy and beautiful."

"Has Garfield ever complained about your appearance?"

She shook her head. "No, he hasn't. This hang up, it's mine … Steve … it isn't easy being different. And I'm really, really different."

"Do you wish you looked more like Jill?"

"Yeah, I do all the time. But I know I never will."

Steve shifted in his chair. "Raven, Garfield isn't exactly normal in his appearance. Does that make him less attractive to you?"

She shook her head. "Cyborg made those holorings I used last time. We all have them; they're very useful when we need to go undercover. Gar's rings make him look the way he would had he not been transformed into Beast Boy: fair skinned, blond and with freckles. I actually think he looks better when he's green."

"Even with the pointy ears?" Steve asked with a wink.

"I love his ears, I fondle them when we make …" She paused as another blush formed on her face.

He smiled. "But you would rather be a tall brunette with a northern European complexion?"

"Any other complexion would be better. And yes, I would like to be tall and bustier." She raised her gray hands and showed them to him. "Steve, tell me you think this is attractive, I dare you."

"It's not my place to say … but I'll share something with you ... my son is fourteen. He has a poster of you on his wall. I've overheard him and his friend talk about you. They think you're attractive."

Her jaw fell. "You're kidding me? Why would they think I'm attractive? Compared to Starfire …"

"He doesn't have a Starfire poster in his room. As to why … they think you're mysterious and exotic. Tall blonds, red heads and brunettes are attractive, but they are kind of a dime a dozen. You are unique."

"I … I don't know, Steve, I still think I look weird. And knowing that teenage boys think I'm attractive, and think of me … that way … now that's disturbing."

"Do you know how many of your posters sell?"

She shrugged. "I have no idea. All I know is that all proceeds from the Titans poster sales go to Children's Hospital. I guess I could ask Cyborg, he takes care of that." She looked up at the clock. "I see we're running out of time."

"We are. Raven, I have an exercise for you. Take one of your posters and give it to Gar, and ask him to point out everything on it that he finds attractive about you."

"He's already done that, but with me."

"Really? Would you care to share?"

She blushed again. "OK … uh, Gar likes to undress me. He likens it to unwrapping a present. As he undresses me he compliments me and ... he does other things. He even calls me a goddess."

"Do you believe him?"

"I … I don't know. I'm not saying he's lying, but I know I'm not a goddess. I think he just says that to get me into the mood … you know … foreplay."

Steve got up and grabbed another book from his shelf and gave it to her. "Since you're good at devouring books, read this before our next session."

Raven looked at the book's cover. Its title was "I Am Beautiful."

-(-)-

Raven returned to the Tower and was about to head to her room to read her homework assignment. She stopped and decided she'd like a mug of tea. She stopped by the common room and found Cyborg there alone, playing some inane shoot them up game on the GameStation. As she filled the kettle with water he turned around.

"So, things going smooth with Steve?"

She put the kettle on the stove and started the burner.

"They are … Cyborg … I have a question. How well does my Children's Hospital poster sell?"

"Funny that you ask, I just got the latest numbers. Believe it or not, you're our best seller."

"What? That isn't possible. You mean I outsell Starfire?"

"You sure do, little lady, by a big margin. That shot the photographer took, it was awesome. You look great in it. I won't go into detail cuz I don't wanna get in trouble with B, but I'll just say that your legs look amazing in that poster."

Raven gave him a disturbed look. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear you say that."

Cyborg chuckled. "Don't worry; I'll always be your big brother. I wouldn't dream of trying to steal you from B."

The kettle whistled and she prepared her tea. She then walked to the exit without saying good bye.

"He's waiting for you in your room. Have fun with your boy toy." He said in a sing song voice.

Raven didn't answer and walked through the doors. As the elevator took her to her floor, a tiny smile formed on her face.

So, I have amazing legs. And my poster outsells Starfire's.

She looked at the book's title.

Maybe I am beautiful.

-(-)-

Raven sat down on a wingback chair in Steve's office. The therapist already had a cup of herbal tea waiting for her.

"So, what would you like to talk about today?" He asked her in his calm, soothing voice.

Raven had been skeptical of the benefits of therapy, but now that she was in her eighth week of sessions she admitted that there had been some real progress, especially with her self-image and body issues. There was, however, a stumbling block she hadn't approached yet.

"I'd like to talk about my father today."

Dunn nodded. "Fathers are important role models for sons and daughters."

"Except in my case he wasn't."

"I see … I get the feeling that he was an important man in your life."

Raven sighed. "My father … he wasn't a man."

"I'm not sure that I follow … are you saying he was a sperm donor?"

Raven chuckled. "No … what I mean is … he's not a human being."

Steve shifted in his seat and adjusted his eyeglasses.

"Let me get this straight … not human … was he an alien?"

"No ... not an extraterrestrial … Steve, have you wondered why I'm gray and have violet hair."

"I figured you'd tell me when you were ready."

"Well, I'm ready … Steve, remember when I said I wasn't a goddess? Well, I'm not, because my father is a demon."

One thing Steve told Raven in an earlier session was that he was once a seminarian studying for the priesthood, before he decided that celibacy wasn't up his alley after all.

"A demon … you mean like Satan?"

Raven shook her head. "No … Satan and his minions are spiritual beings. They seek to ruin humanity on the spiritual level. My father is a physical demon. He was actually born … he has a physical body."

"I've never heard of such demons before."

"They are known to Asian religions." Raven continued.

"So … I'm guessing that you don't have a close relationship with your father."

"That would be a good guess."

"So … do these demons marry and have families?"

"No … they do not. My father was banished to another dimension, but was able to send part of himself to Earth. He seduced my mother and impregnated her."

"So, he was … a player?"

Raven shook her head. "No, he took no pleasure in mating with my mother, who he considered an inferior being … from his perspective she was no better than a chimp. I later learned that he has a demon mate, a demoness named Lilith, not that they are spouses or anything like that … more like demons with benefits."

"So why did he seduce your mother? There must have been an ulterior motive."

"His only reason was to conceive me. I was the key out of the Hell he was trapped in. I never had any contact with him, that is not until …"

Steve saw a tear drip down Raven's face. He handed her the box of facial tissues he always kept handy.

"Until what?"

"Until I betrayed the whole world, the whole universe to him."

Steve looked perplexed. "I've never heard of this before. Are you saying that your father got into our universe? When did this happen?"

"He did, and with my help. You know about the 'Lost Day', don't you?"

"Well, yeah, everyone does. Twelve hours of time that aren't accounted for. Astronomers have been stumped as to explaining what happened. The Earth suddenly leaped forward in its orbit, twelve hours worth."

"My father did that … I was created for one reason and one reason alone … to bring Trigon into this universe. And … I did … like a good obedient daughter I opened the portal, using my own body to do it. My body was destroyed but my soul self was able to create a new one, a child's body and I was reborn."

"What happened after that?"

"My father turned every form of life into stone. Everyone. Even Superman and Captain Marvel were unable to resist. But before I betrayed the world, I protected my friends from Trigon's curse. They survived the takeover, found me and with their support and love I was able to confront my father and return him to the Hell where he belongs. And when that happened, Earth was restored."

"You're a hero, Raven."

She sighed. "No, I'm not. All I did was undo a terrible wrong that I was too cowardly to try to prevent in the first place."

"But you did undo it."

"With my friends' help … I was defeated without them."

Raven began to sob. Somewhere in the distance a light bulb exploded.

"Steve … I … I don't think I'm really a person … I don't believe I have a soul … a real soul. I know my father doesn't have soul, and since I'm half demon I don't think I have one either."

"That's nonsense. Of course you have a soul."

Raven locked eyes with him. "I don't think so … my father was able to completely subvert my will, I rolled over and became his lapdog. It was through the love and support of my friends that I was able to defeat him."

"Raven … you are a real person … look, who knows what sort of curse Trigon used on you … you can't blame yourself for what happened."

"I don't." She said in a hollow voice. "Because I'm not a real woman, I was a soulless doll, a tool my father created to serve his purposes. I was supposed to be utterly destroyed when I became the portal … can't you see Steve … I was born to be a door."

"Raven?"

She choked back a sob. "What?"

"Do you love Garfield?"

"You know that I do."

"So … you do love him. He means more to you than say just a roll in the hay."

"Yes … I do love him." Her voice warbled as she winced.

"Then you do have a soul and you are a real person. Anyone who tells you the contrary is a liar."

Raven bolted from her chair and hugged Steve, who reciprocated the gesture just as the clock chimed.

"I'm afraid we're out of time, Raven."