Disclaimer: Fuzzy? Take it way. Fuzzy: She don't own it. CC: Thank-you Fuzzy.

Following Shadows- Chapter 9: Family Feuds

Raven stared hard at her so-called half brother. He was now pottering around near her desk, pulling things out of their places and leaving them everywhere. Nightwing continued to hiss at him, backing into a corner on the other side of the room.

"What are you doing?" Raven asked, all her will going into controlling the enviable outburst building up inside her.

"Just checking that you aren't doing anything naughty. I wouldn't want my little sister getting into trouble now would I?" Looking up from the container of paintbrushes he was holding, Eclipse grinned at her.

"Oh really"

"Yep"

"I see. And what happens if you do find something? I'm grounded?"

He laughed, a loud infectious sound. "You're funny, you know?"

"I try"

He laughed again.

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Starfire was walking past Raven's room when she heard something. Could that have been....

Laughter?

Clapping her hands in joy, Starfire raced off to tell the others about her wonderful discovery.

*******************************

"She WHAT?"

Beaming, Starfire nodded. "Yes, I am sure of it."

Beast Boy shook his head in disbelief as Cyborg just scratched his in confusion.

"Dark Girl laughing? Star, are you sure?"

"I am certain, friend Cyborg"

Bolting off the couch Beast Boy declared, "Well, I'm going to see for myself. It's just not possible...Raven laugh? And not at one of my jokes? Not possible!"

"Hey, short stuff, wait up!"

Cyborg and Starfire followed him.

*********************************

"Why are you here?"

Raven had managed to stop Eclipse from digging around in her stuff by asking him a few questions.

He shrugged. "Do I need an excuse to see my sis?"

"You do when I've never met you in my life"

"You did before, remember?"

"I'd call that attempted murder"

Eclipse blushed in disgrace. "Heehe...hee...yeah. Sorry about that. No hard feelings?"

Raven just glared at him.

"Oookkaayyy, maybe I'll just go now-"

She pulled him back down with her powers.

"You're not going anywhere till you give me a few answers."

Eclipse sighed. "Nice to see you too. Fine, what do you want to know?"

"How many others are there?" Raven asked abruptly.

Eclipse blinked in surprise.

"Well?"

He mumbled something under his breath.

"What?"

"I said I really don't know. I've only met two others and they were both older than I was. WAAY older. I'm talking like a, two-three hundred year age difference"

Raven continued to stare at him. "So you don't know?"

He yawned and stretched. "Nope. Not a clue"

She was about to ask him another question when Beast Boy burst into her room.

"ALRIGHT! WHAT'S IN HERE THAT'S SO FUNN- who the hell are you?" Beast Boy stopped his yelling and stared at the stranger sitting on the floor.

Eclipse grinned. "I'm Raven's long lost brother"

"WHAT!?!"

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"So you're the wise guy that tried to kill Raven?" Robin asked Eclipse, not at all won over by his charms.

The shadow master grimaced. "I'd prefer the term....scare the living daylights out of her."

Raven just watched, sitting next to Eclipse. He was her half brother. As in flesh and bone, half brother.

"What makes you think you're going to leave here in one-piece?" His voice near growling, Robin stared hard at what he considered the enemy across from him. This...this creature was what was keeping Raven from fully interacting with the team.

It was his fault she didn't confide more in them.

Raven glared hard at Robin, making him change his mind about beating Eclipse to a pulp.

"I invited him here." She stated definitely. "I wanted to hear how Aunt Maude was"

Robin just stood there, gaping at her. She was lying. Why would she lie?

The answer came in a flurry of anger. Him. Robin was about to say he knew perfectly well that she didn't have an Aunt Maude, when Raven stood up.

"Come on Eclipse, we have some catching up to do." And looking hard at Robin, daring him to stop her, she teleported out of the room.

Eclipse grinned up at the Boy Wonder. "Nice meeting you" And laughing, he disappeared in a wisp of smoke.

Gritting his teeth, Robin decided to call the other Titans up to his room. They needed a way to get though to Raven, and what he had in mind was a group affair.

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"Our father is not that bad, you know"

Raven and Eclipse were sitting on her bed, facing each other. Snorting, Raven looked at her brother like he was insane. "That's not the vibe I've been getting"

He raised an eyebrow. "Well, he took me in when no one else would. I'd say that that accounted for something." He watched her carefully. "Why do you hate him?"

Even the air around Raven seemed still when she glared up at him, her eyes starting to glow red. "Why? Why do I hate him? It's because of him that I have to cut off my friends. It's because of him that I have to hold every emotion I have ever experienced inside of me." The ground seemed to visibly shake. "Do you want me to continue?"

"No, no, I get the idea" Eclipse said hastily. If truth be told, he was surprised at her strength, and was beginning to have doubts about why he was really here. "Now, where do you want to go for tea? My treat."

Raven's demonic glow slowly vanished as his peace offering sunk in. "Any where?"

He nodded.

************************************

"When I said anywhere, I didn't mean the local morgue" Eclipse sniffed as he threw shifty looks at anyone who walked past their table.

Looking around, Raven couldn't understand why he was complaining. The Dead End was one of her favorite cafés and she loved coming here as often as possible. Wayne, a waiter who one more than one occasion had kept her company when his shift had finished, walked up to them ready to take their order.

"Hey Rae, the usual?" Gazing down at her, he smiled.

"Yep."

"Cool" Turning to Eclipse, his smile faded. "And you?"

"I'll have the...er...fries and bat-wing burger." Wayne nodded, wrote his order and was about to leave when he stopped him.

"Yes?" Wayne asked, his eyes glittering from underneath strands of coal black hair.

"The Bat-Wing burger doesn't have real bats-wings does it?"

The waiter just stared down at Eclipse while Raven shook her head in shame. Turning, Wayne asked her, "Please don't tell me this is that Robin freak you told me about."

Her face went an interesting shade of red, as Eclipse just looked on, deeply amused.

"No he's not. Eclipse, this is Wayne. Wayne this is Eclipse, my idiot of a half-brother."

Wane nodded in understanding. Talking to Raven he said, "I'll bring you your orders as soon as possible." And then he left.

"So Raven, what exactly do you think of the Boy Wonder? Something powerful if that glorified bus boy is getting jealous."

Scowling, she glared at the audacious creature that called himself her brother. "Nothing. I was lonely one night and Wayne and I started talking. He wanted to know more about the Teen Titans so I told him. If he's jealous than that's all just an illusion. We're friends."

"Oh ok, whatever you say. That would explain why he looked like he wanted to poison my Bat-Wing burger when he left."

"Eclipse, that was because you were being a dickhead. Asking a gothic if they eat bat-wings in their burgers is a very bad move."

Picking up his menu, Eclipse sighed. "I was just making sure. Trust me, bat- wings are not the best filling to have. Heads up"

Wayne placed their plates on the table, but before he left he asked Raven, "Do you want to meet me at the stage before you go? I have a poem I want you to hear." Raven nodded, kicking Eclipse under the table to stop him from making annoying faces behind Wayne's back.

"Awesome. See you then."

"Yep"

She turned to her half brother as Wayne left. "One word, and you'll find yourself hanging from the ceiling"

Eclipse managed to choke back his laughter by stuffing a bunch of fries in his mouth and washing it down with his soda.

********************************

Closing the door behind her, Raven started to walk up the stairs. Wayne's poem had been a four-versed jumble of black birds and darkness. All the way home Eclipse had skipped around Raven, singing revolting concoctions of his own, all about making out with café waiters in dumpsters. She had almost knocked him off the pier with a hot-dog stall when he teleported back to the tower. She preferred to walk, getting fresh air.

Raven was about five steps up when Robin's voice, unusually cold, stopped her.

"So, did you enjoy the family reunion?"

AN: Hey there pplz! I need to say a few things:

Just because I have other fics up, does not mean I'm going to neglect my stories. I know how frustrating that is. I usually type up about a chapter and a-half each night, each about different things. I only post up two a week (each story) so that way you don't have long to wait, and I know what I'm doing. The romance between Raven and Robin is being BULIT-UP. I want the tension just right, so when they do finally get together, it makes things that much sweeter. There's a V-day special coming up, in about two, three chapters. It'll be for all you R/R fans (funny....I thought that was what the story was for?). Thanks to all my reviewers, I love you all! (and to you, flyingpigges, I DO care about your feelings! And are you going to share any of that pudding? Huh? Huh? HUH?) Thanks, many chocolately kisses, CC