Chapter 8: Maids a Milking

On the eighth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Eight maids a milking
Seven swans a swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree

A knock awoke the demon girl. She mumbled to herself and spun off the covers. A quick look to the clock told Raven she had overslept. Everyone had to be up by now.

The knock at her door came more persistent.

"Raven?" It was her faithful leader's voice that floated through her door.

Immediately on alert she jumped from her bed. Sleep wiped away she flung a cloak on and slid open her door.

"Yes?" She croaked, same old monotone as always.

"There's uh, something at the front entrance for you." He scratched at his neck seemingly confused.

"Alright," Raven went to close the door, whatever it was it could surely wait until after meditation. Right when the door was about to slip shut a green gloved had stopped it.

"It can't wait," He added giving her a masked look.

Raven rolled her eyes and opened the door back up. Quickly she stepped out and securely shut it behind her. Without another look to Robin she started for the front entrance.

A moment down the stairs and they pounced.

"What's the big idea Raven?" Beast Boy smiled poking Raven lightly in the arm. She shot him a look that could possibly be fatal, but the boy didn't get it. "Need a little more calcium?"

She turned her head slightly looking at the green changeling. He looked very amused.

"What are you talking about?" She growled annoyed.

"You don't know?" Cyborg stepped seemingly out of no where to lean up close to Raven.

She backed up slightly afraid of such acknowledgement. What was going on? "Know what?" She hissed looking between a giggling Beast Boy and a startled Cyborg.

"Well you should get a mooo-ve on to the door then," Beast Boy added making a noise like a cow. The two cracked up falling to the floor in a pile of hysterics.

Raven chose not to say anything spiteful for once. Gracefully she stepped over the two avoiding the urge to kick them.

She followed the hall down, the door nearing view. Someone was rapping on it more persistently. It followed some crack-pot melody that she immediately recognized. She hummed along with it slightly putting in her own words under her breath.

But it always stopped at the eighth day and started over. Eight maids a milking.

Raven gripped the door knob, she really hoped there wasn't any cows out there. But it would have explained the lame puns from Beast Boy.

Throwing out her thoughts she pulled the door open.

"Elo' madam!" A woman greeted her. She was dressed in what looked to be medieval peasant clothes, her blond hair was tied back in purple ribbon. Her accent was thick, something Raven supposed was medieval as well.

Ravens eyes followed her white ragged dress down to see what she was holding. It was a wooden bucket filled with a white liquid. She grit her teeth knowing what it was.

"Ere' you go." The girl smiled and handed over the bucket to Raven. Raven grimaced taking the handle, the milk sloshed slightly.

"I be going now, merry day," The blonde curtseyed slightly holding her dress before turning to leave.

Raven stood watching her leave still slightly awed. Was that really just one maid a milking? She looked down to the wooden bucket of milk still hanging from her arm.

She swore to herself before swinging the front door closed. It was so unfair.

Something shuffled behind her and Raven knew it was the titans. Attempting to compose herself she slowly turned around.

All four of them were looking at her expectantly. Raven swallowed difficulty and bent to put the bucket down.

"Friend Raven, what is in that pale of wood?" Starfire's head was turned slightly her eyes looking over the glossy white fluid.

"Care to explain?" Beast Boy snickered hitting Cyborg in the ribs.

"It's milk, and I don't want to talk about it." Raven pushed her way passed them leaving the pale for them to examine. She knew he was enjoying this a little too much.

She made it to the living room before the others ventured in to try again. Mumbling to herself she grabbed a near-by book and settled down on the couch. Only when she actually looked at the page did she realize the book was upside down.

Quickly rotating it she hoped the others hadn't noticed.

However the four had their eyes trained on her figure watching with curiosity, or in Beast Boy's case-pure amusement.

It made Raven want to hurt him. What the hell was he so happy about anyway?

"Raven, if this is bothering you I think we need to know." Robin stepped forward taking his leadership poise.

She shifted trying to keep her eyes on the page. So far she had been unsuccessful, she didn't even know what she was reading.

"Um friend Raven, how can you read my Tameranian folk book?" Starfire asked innocently beside Robin.

Raven focused in the words only to realize, she was right. Gibberish looked back from the pages. Snapping the book closed she turned back to the expectant Titans.

"Well-" Raven started but was cut off. A knock at the front door came again. After a quick look in the door's direction the four refocused to Raven.

"I'll get it," She added unnecessarily as she got up.

The four followed her to the door. Now Raven knew what it was like to have a dog, and she didn't like it.

Opening the door she was greeted with an equally as perky girl. She looked younger than the one before her with vibrant red hair.

"Madame," She curtseyed slightly and handed another well-bucket of milk to her.

Smiling she curtseyed again and in a flurry of peasant clothes she was gone. Everyone gaped in her wake.

Stepping back Raven slammed the door. It seemed to knock everyone out of their trance. She moved to the side and set the bucket down with the rest. Boy, it got annoying fast.

"It's kind of complicated to explain." Raven had turned to them all. She saw Robin about to ask something. "But in now way does it endanger the Titans."

"So your not going to tell us what's going on!?" Beast Boy shrieked.

"No, I'll tell you all after Christmas." She added simply moving passed them.

"Raven, I don't like this secretive business, we're a team-" Robin started after her.

Raven paused and spun around on her heels nailing the boy with a fierce glare. "Secret?" Raven's teeth clenched. She could feel her anger rising. It just had to be difficult. "Don't bother me with talk about secrets, I'll tell you when I'm ready."

Robin didn't back down as she glared at him. But his expression was solid and unmoved. Something in the distance cracked and shattered.

Raven breathed deeply pulling everything back in. The other three titans had stepped back slightly. She felt guilty and stupid for loosing her temper. It was not the person she was.

"We're just worried." Robin added calmly which only made Raven feel worse. She had made a fool of herself.

"I know, sorry." She didn't look at Robin moving her gaze to the other titans. Starfire gave a small smile touching her red bow. Beast Boy grinned still and Cyborg beside him looked concerned.

The door knocked beside them. Everyone jumped at the tension.

Sighing Raven pulled open the door to greet number three.

Raven pushed the food around on her plate. She knew any moment there would be a knock on the door. Any moment their dinner would be interrupted by milking maid number eight with her bucket of milk and note.

Dinner was quieter than normal. The entire day the titans had kept their distance as she answered the door seven times.

They now had enough milk to last them a lifetime, none of the titans really drank milk anyway.

Beast Boy had suggested making ice cream and Cyborg had pointed out maybe Raven had a recipe in her French Hen cookbooks. That had been the only clues all day.

Raven dropped her fork when the knock came. The table froze, eyes moving to Raven.

They didn't know how long the milk would be coming. Well, all of them but one.

She took a quick glaring glance at the three boys before getting up. Pulling her cloak closer to her she made her way to the door.

Pushing back all emotion related thoughts she pulled the door open. The last sunlight bathed over maid number eight. She was by comparison much more extravagantly dressed and beautiful than the others.

The dress was silk layered colored blue, red and green that faded to a deep purple at the end. How fitting. She smiled, her short black hair lining her face. She had perfect features and deep blue eyes.

"Madame," She greeted just as the rest with a curtsey. Raven nodded politely, it wasn't their fault they were paid.

She handed the bucket over which Raven quickly took and set next to the others before turning back to the woman. Her smile never vanished as she gently pulled a note out from her gowns pocket.

She gave to Raven who added a small thank you.

"Good-luck," The woman seemed to smile more genuinely as her accent twanged a moment. Raven had a feeling that remark had not been in the script. But before she could ask the stunning woman had curtseyed and fled.

Raven turned back to the note in hand. Unfolding it she read...

Dearest Raven,

I looked for the most beautiful girls I could find, but they are mere maids to you.

-An Admirer

Raven read over the sentence a few times. She knew she was probably blushing and blamed herself for being swayed by compliments. He couldn't possibly mean she was more beautiful than the woman she had just met?

Subconsciously she ran a hand through her short hair. He was blind she had concluded. He was blind, mad, stupid and soon to be dead.

She folded the note in her palm. Closing the door she headed back to the dinner table.

He had chosen the girls, the most beautiful within the towers reaching distance. The last was to be the most extravagant.

But he knew they were simply maids. Simply maids to Raven.

He finished his dinner musing after she had left the table. He didn't need to worry about keeping up conversation, the table was silent. Everyone was wondering the deal with Raven. He was startled she had not let on about anything.

There was an odd sort of comfort in her wanting to keep it secret. She didn't want to share it with anyone.

Maybe she was actually looking forward to the surprise at the end...

He heard her footsteps coming back. If only for appearances he had stayed at the table. He wanted so bad to see her when she read his note. No one was resistance to flattery, especially when it's leaving milk on your front door.

Wow! Look at all the reviews! I'm so happy and on a writing spree. Thanks so much, you all keep me inspired.

Also thanks to the person who suggested ideas -gets paper and scribbled furiously- you rock, I have them twisting themselves into plots as I type.

And no I will not give away who it is until the twelfth chapter, and that is when you all can throw fruit because you've read the whole story and didn't like the coupling. -laughs-

This chapter was kind of weird. I didn't want the rest of them to find out though. Not to mention the fact I had to write while parent was not here. -ducks and runs off-

Leave a review on your way out!

-Dragonslayer527