Chapter 14: Screaming Out Your Name

Downstairs in the medical bay, Raven was hovering near the bed in her inverted lotus position and trying to meditate. It was becoming difficult to concentrate when the man she loved was lying in a coma in the bed beside her. She desperately wracked her brain for some way to help him, but how? There had been a time when Beast Boy and Cyborg had accidentally found their way into her mind by using the mirror in her room that work? Raven returned to her feet and cautiously tiptoed downstairs to Beast Boy's room. Carefully, she used her powers to lift all of the clothes and toys strewn all over the floor and put them away. She had no idea if that was where he actually kept them, but she decided that it would all eventually wind up on the floor again anyway. For now, at least he could find the floor.

Raven located the mirror over Beast Boy's dresser and quietly looked at her reflection in it. She pushed back her hood and smoothed her hair. She looked rough. The battle and then finding Beast Boy in a coma had done a number on her. Raven cast aside thoughts of her appearance and concentrated on the mirror. Crossing her arms over her chest and closing her eyes, Raven felt herself being pulled forward and when she opened her eyes, she found herself once again in Beast Boy's room, but this time, the clothes and toys were everywhere again. Had she simply gone back in time? Then she heard a sound that reminded her of one of Beast Boy's games. She turned around and Beast Boy was lying on his stomach on the floor playing one of his video games. He looked up at her with eyes that betrayed unblemished innocence.

"Hi Raven! Wanna play?" he cried. He got up off the floor and Raven noticed that the colored stripe of his uniform was not purple but was now as blue as her cloak.

"You must be Beast Boy's inner child," Raven remarked, folding her arms over her chest. His face lit up with amazement.

"How'd you know?" he squealed. Raven rolled her eyes.

"Lucky guess," she managed before overwhelming sadness took over and her voice thickened with emotion. She couldn't seem to stop the tears again. She thought she could handle it, but seeing him awake and well was above and beyond her capacity just now. Raven sat down on the bottom bunk of Beast Boy's bed and let her head fall into her hands. Beast Boy's alter ego rushed over to her and dropped down at her feet.

"What's wrong? Why are you so sad?" he cried. Raven looked at him but the words wouldn't come. Beast Boy ran to one of the toy chests in the room and returned with a stuffed doll clad in blue.

"She looks just like you. I sleep with her every night because one of the other egos told me it would protect me from evil spirits. He gave it to me before he fell asleep. You can hold her if you want to," Beast Boy said. Raven took the doll from him and looked it over. Very nearly every detail had been thought of. Her painted face reflected Raven's world-weary expression, the cloak was of the same soft but sturdy material, and she had rooted dark blue hair. Suddenly Raven looked up at him and asked, "What do you mean he's asleep? Can you show me where the other egos are?" Beast Boy's face fell.

"I'll come with you. No one can hurt you as long as I'm here," Raven said. The child-like Beast Boy smiled widely and laughed for joy. Together, they pressed the button that opened the door and walked through.

On the other side was a desolate, chilly yard. Beast Boy clung to Raven's cloak and shook with fear.

"Now I remember why this scared me so much," Beast Boy whimpered. All at once, his bravery wore out and he retreated back to his room faster than Raven could call him back. Left alone to find out what was going on, Raven took a few cautious steps forward before she spotted a shape moving in the trees.

"Beast Boy?" she called. The lithe shape of her companion dropped down out of the nearby trees snarling and growling and startled her. She screamed and reared back a step or two before crying out, "Beast Boy, it's me!"

The figure stopped and then gave Raven a look of sheer pestilence. His unkind sneer was a look that Raven was unfamiliar with and she feigned confusion.

"What are you staring at?" he snapped. "You act like you've never seen me before!"

"I...but...you..."

"Oh now you can't manage a snappy comeback? You always seem to have one for every other time. It doesn't matter what I do, you've always had to make me feel like a dork." The new Beast Boy growled.

"I haven't always done that to you!" Raven cried in her own defense. "How can you say that?"

"Easy. I just did. Did you come just to mock me again or was there a decent reason this time?" Beast Boy grumbled. This Beast Boy had a dark crimson stripe on his uniform and his eyes were cold and almost malicious.

"Hurry it up, I'm getting tired and I need to get some sleep," Beast Boy snapped again.

"Where are the other alter egos?" Raven demanded. Beast Boy snorted.

"They don't like me," he said mockingly. "They all decided they were better than me. If you wanna leave that badly, the door's that way. Good luck." With this, the crimson Beast Boy leapt into the trees again and disappeared. Raven was left alone again. She stood for a moment and contemplated what she had just seen. Beast Boy had never taken that tone with her, and he certainly had never complained about her treatment of him: at least not to her face. She wasn't sure if perhaps the others on the team knew differently. A bit shaken, Raven proceeded to the next doorway and stepped once again into a completely different world.

Raven blinked to let her eyes adjust to the light. She had stepped into a sunlit meadow and in a nearby clearing was a tall four poster bed draped with gossamer fabric. On the bed, deep in a profound, dewy slumber was yet another of Beast Boy's alter egos. This one bore a stripe of cool coral colored fabric and Raven was tempted to simply let him rest; he looked so comfortable! The warm breeze ruffled his jade-colored hair and a smile played with his boyish good looks.

Raven took another step forward and lightly shook his shoulder. When this didn't wake him, she tried calling his name and shaking a bit harder. Slowly, this new alter ego opened his eyes and looked up at Raven. She expected him to be upset at being awakened, but instead she was greeted in a way she expected least of all.

"Raven? Oh, Raven, honey, I'm so glad you're here! Come sit down here with me!" Beast Boy crooned, taking her hand and coaxing her to sit. When she looked into his eyes, the love of a thousand lifetimes shined there. Lightly, he kissed her lips and then smiled.

"When was the last time I told you that you're beautiful?" he whispered. Raven swallowed hard. She bit her lip in an attempt to delay the inevitable tears but failed.

"Darling, what's wrong?" Beast Boy said, taking her into his arms. She told him the whole miserable story: the attack, Starfire finding him on the roof nearly beaten to death, and his coma.

"So that's why I've been so tired. I almost fell over the last time I got so exhausted. Almost didn't make it to my bed," Beast Boy stammered.

"I need your help to find the real Beast Boy," Raven sniffled. "The one that represents all of you put together."

"But why? He's asleep and none of us can wake him," Beast Boy said, rubbing her back.

"We have to try!" Raven demanded, her tears falling like fat raindrops onto her costume. Beast Boy produced a handkerchief and dried her eyes. "I'd give anything to get him back," she continued. Beast Boy pocketed the handkerchief and took a deep breath before looking her in the eyes.

"I don't like seeing you like this. It isn't right. I'll do whatever it takes to make you better, beloved. I'll help you find the other ego. He's closer than you think though," Beast Boy said, rising from the bed. He brought his hands together in front of him and focused his energies on the space around him. A brilliant light broke loose from him and all at once at least a dozen of Beast Boy's alter egos were present and came together in an explosion of white light. Raven shielded her eyes with her cloak until the blinding light dissipated. When she looked again there was only one Beast Boy lying in the tall grass. There was a white stripe in his uniform and no amount of shaking from Raven could wake him.

Fearing the worst, that she was too late, Raven took Beast Boy in her arms. Supporting his body weight with her right arm, Raven took Beast Boy's face in her other hand and leaned over him. She took a deep breath and kissed his mouth. When she pulled back, she looked carefully over his sleeping visage for signs of life. Seeing none, she leaned her cheek on his and whispered in his ear as she held him tight, "Come back to me, Beast back to me!"

Suddenly, Raven found herself back in Beast Boy's room. Afraid that something had gone wrong, Raven dashed back to the medical bay. When she entered the room, she was immediately startled by the beep of the monitors. Beast Boy's heart rate had dropped far below what it should be. Before Raven could call for help, the monitor shut itself off and Raven looked over at the screen to see that not only had Beast Boy's heart rate climbed back up to acceptable levels, it had climbed all the way back to normal. Raven went to Beast Boy's side and took his hand just in time to see him take a deep breath and blink his eyes open. Raven would never forget his waking words as long as she lived.

"Kiss me again. That was amazing," Beast Boy whispered. Raven laughed as she blinked back happy tears. Too thrilled for any sort of verbal comeback, Raven indulged his wish and passionately kissed him again. She remained there for the rest of the night, curled up beside him on the bed and providing him with anything he needed, as well as all the hugs and kisses he could handle. The other Titans would find them the next morning, Beast Boy cuddled into Raven's arms with his head pillowed against her shoulder and Raven contently asleep with her arms protectively around him. Deciding not to bother them just now, Robin and Cyborg pulled an extra blanket over the two and then tiptoed out of the room.

"I am so relieved!" Starfire murmured when the two boys emerged from the room.

"Raven's been through enough in the past year. I'm glad something good happened for a change," Cyborg said with a smile.

"C'mon. Let's go make some breakfast. Tofu eggs and bacon anybody?" Robin quipped. The others laughed softly and followed their fearless leader up to the kitchen.


A/N: Before you all say anything: I know, this whole chapter screams Nevermore. It was supposed to. This whole chapter was supposed to be Nevermore BB style. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all who have been my devoted readers throughout the series and big hugs to those of you who are new on board! I love to hear from all of you. Special glomps go to Jestana for beta reading everything I write even if she doesn't always understand it -wink- and to Arrendi, zerodog43, and Raven A. Star who I believe have been with me the longest! Thanks guys!

There will probably be just one more chapter before I wrap this one up. I have several other small projects I want to work on before I put out another piece of this saga. Oh! Did I tell you? The series will be under it's full name on my website when the site is complete. It will be called "Life has a Rhythm All its Own". I called it that due to all the song titles I used for chapter titles. squee! Thanks for reading!! Cielita