Alright, alright, I know the last chapter left a lot of you doubting, but
don't worry guys, I wouldn't do that to you without some sort of
explanation lying in the wait. Just have some faith, and hopefully I won't
screw up too badly. Anyway, you know the drill, I don't own any of the DC
characters, nor do I own any of the movie titles used in this chapter.
(Oh, and a quick note to Dark Weezing- thanks a lot for the comments dude, I really value your praise and advice. As to your comments, you're right, I rushed the battle scene a bit, I have to admit, writing out a fight has never really been my forte, but I figured, what better place than this to practice, right? And to your Forrester comments, it's true, he wasn't really this slimy in the comic, but I wanted to tweak his character a bit. But don't worry, you're going to see another side of Forrester very soon. And number two, 'wonderful sneak attack'? Dammit, Dark Weezing, who have you been talking to?!? But no, seriously, if that's what you were expecting, don't think you're going to be disappointed just yet. Remember friend, his ability to interface with computers is just ONE of the elements to Forrester's power. That is all I'll say for now. I don't want this to end up too much of a spoiler.)
Raven stood, speechless as she stared at Robin and Starfire. A second ago, she and Robin were sharing a very tender and very genuine moment with each other, what she was seeing in front of her now didn't even make sense. She could feel the rage slowly boiling up inside of her, she clenched her fists and took a deep breath in. Raven was so angry, that all she wanted to do was...
'Man, why does Raven buy these cheesy modern horror movies? None of them can hold a candle to the classic stuff.' Robin was sitting on the floor, in front of the couch, with about 20 dvds spread out in front of him. He was holding 'Identity' and 'Jeepers Creepers 2' in his hands and shaking his head. He was just about to start thumbing through the action movies when Raven yelled from behind the sofa.
"You...BASTARD! You lying, conniving little son of a bitch. Fuck you, Robin. No, fuck BOTH of you. I can't believe I ever fell for your sick little game, and I'll never forgive myself for it." With that, Raven turned around and stormed away to her room, tears now streaming down her face.
Robin blinked as he watched Raven marched down the hall. He took a few seconds for his brain to comprehend what had just happened, and then he started to think about it. 'What...did she just...what was she...WHAT JUST HAPPENED HERE?' Robin rested his forehead in his hand as he tried to fully grasp everything Raven had said. 'What did she mean by "No, fuck BOTH of you"? I'm the only one here!' Before running off to Raven to see what she was so mad about, Robin took one more look around the room, just to make sure he wasn't missing anything. The couch was empty, a few pillows were tossed here and there, as usual. The tv was on, but muted, and there were Raven's horror movies scattered about on the floor. The room was completely empty, except for one very confused teen titan. 'Whatever's bothering her, I'd better find out what it is, fast. I've never seen Rae so angry before.'
"Azarath, Metrion, XINTHOS!" A black and white blur went speeding across Raven's room and was intentionally sent crashing into a wall. When it hit, the glass frame shattered and the picture of that Christmas three years ago fell limply to the floor. Raven's anger threatened to take her over, but she was fighting to keep in under control. However, that was no easy task. Raven tried not to think about the lies...god, the lies. She had never thought any lie could ever run this deep. Love was such a foreign taboo to her, that the thought of lying about it was practically unfathomable. When Robin told Raven he loved her, she believed him. What's more, her empathic powers never warned her of any lie or untrue feeling. So how could things have turned out this way? Raven continued to try and calm herself, but it was not working. Her only option to contain her rage was to let another emotion take over instead. Suddenly, Raven collapsed to the floor in tears, as wave after wave of sadness and betrayal washed over her. She was holding her knees in her arms when the door opened.
"Rae...?" Robin's voice was soft, and full of concern. "Rae...are you feeling ok? What's the matter, love?"
Raven growled, "How DARE you call me that!"
Robin looked shocked, "WHAT? Raven, what's wrong?!"
"What's WRONG? Are you fucking kidding me?! Drop the games Richard! I don't have time for them."
"Rae...please, I'm not playing any games. I just...I want to know what you're so angry about. When you were yelling in the living room...you were yelling at me like there were two people there. Who were you talking to, Raven?"
Raven stared at him in disbelief. 'Is he fucking serious? Is this some kind of sick, twisted game?' "Who do you THINK I was talking to, Robin. You and the girl in your lap, or maybe I was just running my mouth off at Casper, the friendly fucking ghost."
Robin was more confused than ever, but he was not about to give up. "Raven...the only girl I've had in my lap is you. I...Rae...seriously, what the hell is going on here?" The frustration was finally starting to get to him, and it was evident in his voice.
As frustration started to win Robin over, it was rage that flowed through the body of Raven. Her sadness had not been enough to hold it back, and now Raven was practically boiling over with anger. "Do I have to spell it out for you, Robin? Is that what this is all about? Are you just trying to get me to say it? FINE. I saw YOU making out with STARFIRE, and now, I'm about as pissed off as it gets. Everything all CLEAR to you now, Boy Wonder??"
"...Raven...what...what the hell are you talking about?! Star isn't even HERE! She's out doing this week's grocery shopping with Beast Boy, and Cyborg just left for his date. Raven, we're the only two people in this whole tower! Besides, even if she WERE here, WHY would I kiss her?!? Raven, every time I ever kissed Starfire, I wished I was kissing you instead, you KNOW that! Rae...I...I love you so much. How could you ever think I would do something like this to you? I'd gladly hurt myself a thousand times before ever letting myself hurt you, Rae."
"Robin...I...what was I supposed to think? I know what I saw, you were sitting on the sofa, and Star was on top of you... Besides, Robin, you practically faked your way through your relationship with Star...How do I know you're not just doing the same thing to me?"
Robin felt like his heart was slowly being ripped from his chest as Raven spoke her words. When he finally spoke, his words were soft, and his voice was full of remorse. "Raven...there's always one way to tell. Use your powers on me. See for yourself, Rae. What am I feeling for you, right now?"
Raven's eyes glowed, "You're feeling...love. And concern...for me."
"I don't know what you saw, Rae, or why you saw it, but...please Raven, I love you. You have to trust me when I say that to you, because...I've never meant anything more in my life."
"But...then what did I see, Robin? Why did I see you and Starfire making out? Am...am I going crazy?" The tears that had been welling up in Raven's eyes were now making their way down her cheeks.
Robin pulled his girlfriend in for a warm embrace, as he let his mind run. His detective skills were already at full swing and the cogs in his head were turning. 'What could have made her seen something that wasn't happening. A hologram? Some kind of...illusion.' And then it hit him. "Raven...when we fought the Society, did you run into Phobia?"
Raven's eyes went wide. "That...BITCH." Now she understood, the reason Phobia had ran after her power seemed to fail. She wasn't bluffing when she talked about the torment she had planned for Raven, nor was she bluffing when she said her goal had been met. "Yes, Robin. Phobia and I fought today, and she did use her powers on me. When nothing happened at the time, I assumed they had failed, but apparently, they haven't."
Robin nodded. "Somehow, she's been able to make you see visions you fear long after the initial telepathic surge."
Raven sighed in relief. "I'm just glad we were able to figure..." Raven stopped talking and her breath went cold. She stared in silence, out her door and into the hallway as a chill crept up her spine. Raven could still feel Robin's arms holding her tight, but there, in the hallway, stood Robin. He was wearing a suit and tie, and holding Starfire in his arms. She looked beautiful, she was wearing a stunning dress and she was smiling brighter than the sun.
"I'm so sorry, Star." The suit-and-tie Robin said. "Can you ever forgive me for making such a stupid decision?"
"Oh, Robin. Dating Raven was not 'stupid', you merely made a mistake, there is nothing to be ashamed of."
"Maybe not, but I'm so glad to have you back, Star."
Raven blinked, and shook her head, but when she looked again, they were still standing there. "Robin..." Raven whispered, as she pointed out to the hallway. "It's happening again..."
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
It was three days later, and the visions were still coming. They fell into no particular pattern, but now were occurring more frequently than before. Raven was at her wits end, and if not for Robin and her friends, she surely would have slipped into insanity.
Raven knew she had to be strong, she had to believe in the love she and Robin shared. But as each new illusion came, it became harder and harder to differentiate between what was real, and what wasn't. Even the surest thing, like love, can be questioned after day after day of psychological torment.
Robin stayed by Raven's side. The only time he would ever leave her, was when she asked him to, and even then, only if she insisted. Robin could not even imagine the horrible visions Raven was going through, and he became angry. Angry that he could not share her pain.
"Get out of my sight, you filthy whore." Robin's eyes narrowed as he glared at Raven.
"B...but Robin..."
"I said GET OUT OF MY WAY."
"No, Robin. I won't! It's YOUR baby too! You can't just ignore it!"
"You're wrong, Raven. The child in your womb isn't mine, that baby is yours. Yours alone."
Raven fell to her knees as she cried. "NO! PLEASE! You can't do this! I didn't WANT this baby, Robin! I didn't want this to happen! PLEASE! This is exactly what happened to me...please...don't let another child be born without love."
"How could that child ever hope for my love, when I would not even love it's mother?"
"NO!" Raven gasped. She looked around her, she was lying in her bed, and her room was empty. Now she remembered, Robin had left to make her a dinner and some tea. Right after he left, the vision started. It was the worst one yet, Raven was still trembling. She tried to calm herself, tried to remember what Robin had told her.
'The illusions are feeding off your fear Rae. If you want them to go away, you have to make your fears go away. You have to trust, Raven. Trust in my love for you. When you can honestly believe that I would never hurt you, and that I have nothing but love for you, the visions will be gone. You'll be fearless.'
Raven sighed, it was far easier said than done. 'Especially this last one...' Raven thought. 'This one was just...too much. I need to get out, clear my mind.' Raven knew Robin would be back soon, and didn't want him to worry, so she scribbled a short note saying that she just needed to step outside for a little while.
Raven floated straight through her wall, and out into the night's sky. She flew over the water that separated Titans Tower and Jump City. Raven had walked two blocks before she heard a voice call to her from behind.
"Hey."
Raven spun around, "Who's there?"
"Easy, babe. It's just me."
Raven couldn't believe her luck. "Get away from me, Eric. I don't have time for your bullshit."
"Hey, look, Raven, was it? About that, I just wanted to tell you, I'm sorry. I was just...you know, fooling around with you. I really didn't mean for it to go that far. I'm sorry, to your boyfriend too. I didn't mean to be such a prick, in fact, I didn't even realize how much of an asshole I was being until Vic gave me a call and straightened me out." His voice was different this time. Gone was the arrogant tone, his words were humbled and sincere.
Raven was surprised, to say the least. Of all the things to come out of Eric Forrester's mouth, the words he just said were probably the last Raven would ever have expected. "...Thank you, Eric. I'm sorry too. For everything I said to you...or about you."
Eric smiled. "Don't sweat it, lord knows I deserved it. So what are you doing out here, all alone? Where's your boyfriend?"
"He's back at the tower. I'm just...going through a lot of things right now. I needed to get some fresh air."
Eric nodded. "Well, you want to go get a cup of coffee or something? I can walk you home after that, its no big deal."
"I...I don't know. I should probably be getting back home by now...but...a cup of tea, doesn't sound that bad."
"Hey, tea, coffee, it's all the same to me. C'mon, I know a great little place."
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
"So that's what's been troubling me. The illusions...they just...keep coming. I don't know what I'm going to do if they don't stop soon. I can barely take it."
Eric nodded. He was sitting in a two person booth with Raven at his favorite coffee shop. She had just spent the past 10 minutes explaining the whole deal with Robin, Phobia, and the visions. "Well," he said, "if what you're telling me is true, than you must really be afraid of losing this Robin guy, huh?"
Raven nodded. "He's the only person I've ever loved, Eric."
"Does he love you back?"
"Of course he does."
"Then, why would you be so afraid of him leaving?"
Raven stared, she did not have an answer for that.
"Think about it, Raven. If this guy really does love you, and if there really is no chance of him running off with his ex, then why are you so afraid of it? You don't seem like the irrational type to me. If you're so afraid of Robin leaving you, that you'd be haunted by these telepathic illusions, then something's wrong here. You wouldn't have this fear if it wasn't justified by something. All I'm saying is, if he really does love you, and there's no doubt about it, then you wouldn't be so scared of him not loving you, right?"
Raven sat in silence. As much as she hated to admit it, there was truth in Eric's words.
"Look, I...I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by that. I was just...trying to help. Look, forget I said anything, alright? C'mon. Let's get you home." A small smile started to form on Eric's lips. 'This is perfect. I can't believe my luck. She's so confused, I've never SEEN a girl more vulnerable.'
When they got to the bay, Raven floated the two of them over to the Tower. "I can float you back after, I just..."
"Wanted the company?"
"...yeah." Raven blushed. 'Cyborg was right,' she thought, 'Eric is a good person.'
"So here we are." He said, "Man, don't you ever get freaked out, you know, living in a giant 'T'?"
Raven smiled, "Actually, once you've been here as long as I have, you barely remember the shape when you're inside." Raven took a step towards the door, and stopped.
"What's the matter?"
"I don't know...it's just. Robin's in there. He's been at my side throughout these past three days, and I really appreciated it, but...well, he's been with me these past three days, and the visions have been coming non-stop. I must have spent an hour with you tonight, Eric, and in that time, I haven't had a single fear-vision. I guess I'm just...I don't know..."
"Hey, look, if you think going home is going to make the illusions come back, then don't go. My place isn't too far from here, you can crash there for as long as you like. You can take my water bed, I'll sleep on the couch. Trust me, it won't be the first time."
Something in Raven's head was going off, telling her it was a bad idea. Unfortunately, the thought of her first night of peaceful sleep in three days was enough to drown out her rationality. "That sounds...really nice. Thank you, Eric. You know...Cyborg was telling me how good a friend you were to him, and...I admit, I didn't believe him at the time. But now I see what he sees. You really are a good person, Eric."
Eric laughed, "Hey, babe. Give me the time, and I can be a GREAT person." He leaned in, and before Raven knew what was happening, Eric had pressed his lips to hers.
Raven gasped as their lips touched. She felt as if her energy were being drained and she fainted in Eric's arms. Smiling, he lifted her up, and carried her the same way a groom would carry his bride.
Eric smirked to himself as he walked away from the tower, with Raven in his arms. 'Tonight...is going to be a VERY good night.'
(Oh, and a quick note to Dark Weezing- thanks a lot for the comments dude, I really value your praise and advice. As to your comments, you're right, I rushed the battle scene a bit, I have to admit, writing out a fight has never really been my forte, but I figured, what better place than this to practice, right? And to your Forrester comments, it's true, he wasn't really this slimy in the comic, but I wanted to tweak his character a bit. But don't worry, you're going to see another side of Forrester very soon. And number two, 'wonderful sneak attack'? Dammit, Dark Weezing, who have you been talking to?!? But no, seriously, if that's what you were expecting, don't think you're going to be disappointed just yet. Remember friend, his ability to interface with computers is just ONE of the elements to Forrester's power. That is all I'll say for now. I don't want this to end up too much of a spoiler.)
Raven stood, speechless as she stared at Robin and Starfire. A second ago, she and Robin were sharing a very tender and very genuine moment with each other, what she was seeing in front of her now didn't even make sense. She could feel the rage slowly boiling up inside of her, she clenched her fists and took a deep breath in. Raven was so angry, that all she wanted to do was...
'Man, why does Raven buy these cheesy modern horror movies? None of them can hold a candle to the classic stuff.' Robin was sitting on the floor, in front of the couch, with about 20 dvds spread out in front of him. He was holding 'Identity' and 'Jeepers Creepers 2' in his hands and shaking his head. He was just about to start thumbing through the action movies when Raven yelled from behind the sofa.
"You...BASTARD! You lying, conniving little son of a bitch. Fuck you, Robin. No, fuck BOTH of you. I can't believe I ever fell for your sick little game, and I'll never forgive myself for it." With that, Raven turned around and stormed away to her room, tears now streaming down her face.
Robin blinked as he watched Raven marched down the hall. He took a few seconds for his brain to comprehend what had just happened, and then he started to think about it. 'What...did she just...what was she...WHAT JUST HAPPENED HERE?' Robin rested his forehead in his hand as he tried to fully grasp everything Raven had said. 'What did she mean by "No, fuck BOTH of you"? I'm the only one here!' Before running off to Raven to see what she was so mad about, Robin took one more look around the room, just to make sure he wasn't missing anything. The couch was empty, a few pillows were tossed here and there, as usual. The tv was on, but muted, and there were Raven's horror movies scattered about on the floor. The room was completely empty, except for one very confused teen titan. 'Whatever's bothering her, I'd better find out what it is, fast. I've never seen Rae so angry before.'
"Azarath, Metrion, XINTHOS!" A black and white blur went speeding across Raven's room and was intentionally sent crashing into a wall. When it hit, the glass frame shattered and the picture of that Christmas three years ago fell limply to the floor. Raven's anger threatened to take her over, but she was fighting to keep in under control. However, that was no easy task. Raven tried not to think about the lies...god, the lies. She had never thought any lie could ever run this deep. Love was such a foreign taboo to her, that the thought of lying about it was practically unfathomable. When Robin told Raven he loved her, she believed him. What's more, her empathic powers never warned her of any lie or untrue feeling. So how could things have turned out this way? Raven continued to try and calm herself, but it was not working. Her only option to contain her rage was to let another emotion take over instead. Suddenly, Raven collapsed to the floor in tears, as wave after wave of sadness and betrayal washed over her. She was holding her knees in her arms when the door opened.
"Rae...?" Robin's voice was soft, and full of concern. "Rae...are you feeling ok? What's the matter, love?"
Raven growled, "How DARE you call me that!"
Robin looked shocked, "WHAT? Raven, what's wrong?!"
"What's WRONG? Are you fucking kidding me?! Drop the games Richard! I don't have time for them."
"Rae...please, I'm not playing any games. I just...I want to know what you're so angry about. When you were yelling in the living room...you were yelling at me like there were two people there. Who were you talking to, Raven?"
Raven stared at him in disbelief. 'Is he fucking serious? Is this some kind of sick, twisted game?' "Who do you THINK I was talking to, Robin. You and the girl in your lap, or maybe I was just running my mouth off at Casper, the friendly fucking ghost."
Robin was more confused than ever, but he was not about to give up. "Raven...the only girl I've had in my lap is you. I...Rae...seriously, what the hell is going on here?" The frustration was finally starting to get to him, and it was evident in his voice.
As frustration started to win Robin over, it was rage that flowed through the body of Raven. Her sadness had not been enough to hold it back, and now Raven was practically boiling over with anger. "Do I have to spell it out for you, Robin? Is that what this is all about? Are you just trying to get me to say it? FINE. I saw YOU making out with STARFIRE, and now, I'm about as pissed off as it gets. Everything all CLEAR to you now, Boy Wonder??"
"...Raven...what...what the hell are you talking about?! Star isn't even HERE! She's out doing this week's grocery shopping with Beast Boy, and Cyborg just left for his date. Raven, we're the only two people in this whole tower! Besides, even if she WERE here, WHY would I kiss her?!? Raven, every time I ever kissed Starfire, I wished I was kissing you instead, you KNOW that! Rae...I...I love you so much. How could you ever think I would do something like this to you? I'd gladly hurt myself a thousand times before ever letting myself hurt you, Rae."
"Robin...I...what was I supposed to think? I know what I saw, you were sitting on the sofa, and Star was on top of you... Besides, Robin, you practically faked your way through your relationship with Star...How do I know you're not just doing the same thing to me?"
Robin felt like his heart was slowly being ripped from his chest as Raven spoke her words. When he finally spoke, his words were soft, and his voice was full of remorse. "Raven...there's always one way to tell. Use your powers on me. See for yourself, Rae. What am I feeling for you, right now?"
Raven's eyes glowed, "You're feeling...love. And concern...for me."
"I don't know what you saw, Rae, or why you saw it, but...please Raven, I love you. You have to trust me when I say that to you, because...I've never meant anything more in my life."
"But...then what did I see, Robin? Why did I see you and Starfire making out? Am...am I going crazy?" The tears that had been welling up in Raven's eyes were now making their way down her cheeks.
Robin pulled his girlfriend in for a warm embrace, as he let his mind run. His detective skills were already at full swing and the cogs in his head were turning. 'What could have made her seen something that wasn't happening. A hologram? Some kind of...illusion.' And then it hit him. "Raven...when we fought the Society, did you run into Phobia?"
Raven's eyes went wide. "That...BITCH." Now she understood, the reason Phobia had ran after her power seemed to fail. She wasn't bluffing when she talked about the torment she had planned for Raven, nor was she bluffing when she said her goal had been met. "Yes, Robin. Phobia and I fought today, and she did use her powers on me. When nothing happened at the time, I assumed they had failed, but apparently, they haven't."
Robin nodded. "Somehow, she's been able to make you see visions you fear long after the initial telepathic surge."
Raven sighed in relief. "I'm just glad we were able to figure..." Raven stopped talking and her breath went cold. She stared in silence, out her door and into the hallway as a chill crept up her spine. Raven could still feel Robin's arms holding her tight, but there, in the hallway, stood Robin. He was wearing a suit and tie, and holding Starfire in his arms. She looked beautiful, she was wearing a stunning dress and she was smiling brighter than the sun.
"I'm so sorry, Star." The suit-and-tie Robin said. "Can you ever forgive me for making such a stupid decision?"
"Oh, Robin. Dating Raven was not 'stupid', you merely made a mistake, there is nothing to be ashamed of."
"Maybe not, but I'm so glad to have you back, Star."
Raven blinked, and shook her head, but when she looked again, they were still standing there. "Robin..." Raven whispered, as she pointed out to the hallway. "It's happening again..."
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
It was three days later, and the visions were still coming. They fell into no particular pattern, but now were occurring more frequently than before. Raven was at her wits end, and if not for Robin and her friends, she surely would have slipped into insanity.
Raven knew she had to be strong, she had to believe in the love she and Robin shared. But as each new illusion came, it became harder and harder to differentiate between what was real, and what wasn't. Even the surest thing, like love, can be questioned after day after day of psychological torment.
Robin stayed by Raven's side. The only time he would ever leave her, was when she asked him to, and even then, only if she insisted. Robin could not even imagine the horrible visions Raven was going through, and he became angry. Angry that he could not share her pain.
"Get out of my sight, you filthy whore." Robin's eyes narrowed as he glared at Raven.
"B...but Robin..."
"I said GET OUT OF MY WAY."
"No, Robin. I won't! It's YOUR baby too! You can't just ignore it!"
"You're wrong, Raven. The child in your womb isn't mine, that baby is yours. Yours alone."
Raven fell to her knees as she cried. "NO! PLEASE! You can't do this! I didn't WANT this baby, Robin! I didn't want this to happen! PLEASE! This is exactly what happened to me...please...don't let another child be born without love."
"How could that child ever hope for my love, when I would not even love it's mother?"
"NO!" Raven gasped. She looked around her, she was lying in her bed, and her room was empty. Now she remembered, Robin had left to make her a dinner and some tea. Right after he left, the vision started. It was the worst one yet, Raven was still trembling. She tried to calm herself, tried to remember what Robin had told her.
'The illusions are feeding off your fear Rae. If you want them to go away, you have to make your fears go away. You have to trust, Raven. Trust in my love for you. When you can honestly believe that I would never hurt you, and that I have nothing but love for you, the visions will be gone. You'll be fearless.'
Raven sighed, it was far easier said than done. 'Especially this last one...' Raven thought. 'This one was just...too much. I need to get out, clear my mind.' Raven knew Robin would be back soon, and didn't want him to worry, so she scribbled a short note saying that she just needed to step outside for a little while.
Raven floated straight through her wall, and out into the night's sky. She flew over the water that separated Titans Tower and Jump City. Raven had walked two blocks before she heard a voice call to her from behind.
"Hey."
Raven spun around, "Who's there?"
"Easy, babe. It's just me."
Raven couldn't believe her luck. "Get away from me, Eric. I don't have time for your bullshit."
"Hey, look, Raven, was it? About that, I just wanted to tell you, I'm sorry. I was just...you know, fooling around with you. I really didn't mean for it to go that far. I'm sorry, to your boyfriend too. I didn't mean to be such a prick, in fact, I didn't even realize how much of an asshole I was being until Vic gave me a call and straightened me out." His voice was different this time. Gone was the arrogant tone, his words were humbled and sincere.
Raven was surprised, to say the least. Of all the things to come out of Eric Forrester's mouth, the words he just said were probably the last Raven would ever have expected. "...Thank you, Eric. I'm sorry too. For everything I said to you...or about you."
Eric smiled. "Don't sweat it, lord knows I deserved it. So what are you doing out here, all alone? Where's your boyfriend?"
"He's back at the tower. I'm just...going through a lot of things right now. I needed to get some fresh air."
Eric nodded. "Well, you want to go get a cup of coffee or something? I can walk you home after that, its no big deal."
"I...I don't know. I should probably be getting back home by now...but...a cup of tea, doesn't sound that bad."
"Hey, tea, coffee, it's all the same to me. C'mon, I know a great little place."
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
"So that's what's been troubling me. The illusions...they just...keep coming. I don't know what I'm going to do if they don't stop soon. I can barely take it."
Eric nodded. He was sitting in a two person booth with Raven at his favorite coffee shop. She had just spent the past 10 minutes explaining the whole deal with Robin, Phobia, and the visions. "Well," he said, "if what you're telling me is true, than you must really be afraid of losing this Robin guy, huh?"
Raven nodded. "He's the only person I've ever loved, Eric."
"Does he love you back?"
"Of course he does."
"Then, why would you be so afraid of him leaving?"
Raven stared, she did not have an answer for that.
"Think about it, Raven. If this guy really does love you, and if there really is no chance of him running off with his ex, then why are you so afraid of it? You don't seem like the irrational type to me. If you're so afraid of Robin leaving you, that you'd be haunted by these telepathic illusions, then something's wrong here. You wouldn't have this fear if it wasn't justified by something. All I'm saying is, if he really does love you, and there's no doubt about it, then you wouldn't be so scared of him not loving you, right?"
Raven sat in silence. As much as she hated to admit it, there was truth in Eric's words.
"Look, I...I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by that. I was just...trying to help. Look, forget I said anything, alright? C'mon. Let's get you home." A small smile started to form on Eric's lips. 'This is perfect. I can't believe my luck. She's so confused, I've never SEEN a girl more vulnerable.'
When they got to the bay, Raven floated the two of them over to the Tower. "I can float you back after, I just..."
"Wanted the company?"
"...yeah." Raven blushed. 'Cyborg was right,' she thought, 'Eric is a good person.'
"So here we are." He said, "Man, don't you ever get freaked out, you know, living in a giant 'T'?"
Raven smiled, "Actually, once you've been here as long as I have, you barely remember the shape when you're inside." Raven took a step towards the door, and stopped.
"What's the matter?"
"I don't know...it's just. Robin's in there. He's been at my side throughout these past three days, and I really appreciated it, but...well, he's been with me these past three days, and the visions have been coming non-stop. I must have spent an hour with you tonight, Eric, and in that time, I haven't had a single fear-vision. I guess I'm just...I don't know..."
"Hey, look, if you think going home is going to make the illusions come back, then don't go. My place isn't too far from here, you can crash there for as long as you like. You can take my water bed, I'll sleep on the couch. Trust me, it won't be the first time."
Something in Raven's head was going off, telling her it was a bad idea. Unfortunately, the thought of her first night of peaceful sleep in three days was enough to drown out her rationality. "That sounds...really nice. Thank you, Eric. You know...Cyborg was telling me how good a friend you were to him, and...I admit, I didn't believe him at the time. But now I see what he sees. You really are a good person, Eric."
Eric laughed, "Hey, babe. Give me the time, and I can be a GREAT person." He leaned in, and before Raven knew what was happening, Eric had pressed his lips to hers.
Raven gasped as their lips touched. She felt as if her energy were being drained and she fainted in Eric's arms. Smiling, he lifted her up, and carried her the same way a groom would carry his bride.
Eric smirked to himself as he walked away from the tower, with Raven in his arms. 'Tonight...is going to be a VERY good night.'