Chapter 11: Pipers Piping

On the eleventh day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Eleven pipers piping,
Ten lords a-leaping,
Nine ladies dancing,
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.

Raven could see two ropes and knew she had to grab one. The rock under her feet was crumbling. It was rumbling and going to give out any second.

There was a green rope and a red one. And Raven couldn't decide which to grab.

The rocks began to slip away. Choose, red or green...

In a hurry she went to grab one. Her footing slipped and she fell, missing the rope. Into the darkness she faded, the ropes gone.

Raven jumped back into her body. The jolt set her sitting upright.

The Titan alarm was ringing and her communicator was already beeping. Grabbing a cloak she snapped it on and created a portal to downstairs.

One last look at her room and she still couldn't remember. Which rope had she grabbed?

Raven stepped in letting the black envelop her form.

"Turn here," Robin commanded next to Cyborg in the car. Cyborg swerved almost hitting a black van.

In the back Starfire squeaked and clenched Beast Boys arm. Raven watched in amusement as the skin turned a weird purple color.

"Ok guys its just Johnny Rancid looking for some more holiday change. But there are reports he may have a hostage." Robin informed the rest of them as the car was pulled up and stopped in front of a bank.

The five got out just as Rancid was getting on his bike.

"Titans, go!" Robin called his usual catch phrase and everyone sprang into action.

Raven summoned some power to pause the bike. They couldn't have him getting away now. Beast Boy had changed into a green rodent in an attempt to sneak up on the biker.

"Anyone makes a move and the girl gets it!" Johnny yelled producing a knife. The young girl in his possession yelped.

The brunette looked frightened as the knife settled just at her neck. Using one of his hands he had pinned her arms behind her back. The titans paused formulating a new strategy.

"Let my bike down," He growled motioning to the glowing black tires. Raven took a quick glance over to Robin.

"Now!" He spat shaking the girl a little. She cried out, the beginnings of tears in her eyes.

Robin nodded his head ever so slightly in the direction of Johnny. Starfire was somewhere behind the bike floating and Cyborg had his cannon charged waiting as well.

She spotted the green rat next to the tire.

Carefully she released the grasp on the tired and the engine revved. Johnny Rancid laughed and forcibly pulled the girl onto the bike, knife still steady in place.

Raven watched Robin a second longer. Just as Johnny put his hand on the bars his head nodded slightly.

Her gaze turned to see a giant T-rex form. It had been under the bike and the boys growth had caused it to flip off the riders.

Unfortunately for the villain he was left some distance from his hostage and knife. Raven sighed using her powers to levitate the man as a police car arrived.

"Well done," Robin smiled at everyone who nodded.

"That was really good, I didn't know Beast Boy was so smart," Cyborg teased heading for the car.

Beast Boy nodded proudly a second. "Hey wait a second-" He growled and ran after Cyborg. Starfire giggled and followed with Robin.

Raven looked from Beast Boy to Robin. If she had to choose, who would it be?

Back in the tower the titans took to resting. The call had been early cutting off a few hours of sleep for many of the titans.

Cyborg and Robin lounged on the couch while Beast Boy played a vicious video game round with himself. Starfire poked at the television screen every few minutes asking what the graphics were.

Raven sat a little ways away from everyone with a book. Again, she wasn't actually reading it. These days she couldn't get her mind away from it. It was borderline obsession.

She hated it was something she couldn't simply solve.

Raven watched Beast Boy playing his game a while. He was more carefree and light spirited. Sometimes he seemed to like her with his obsessive nagging and jokes. She was never truly sure though, he had had such a thing going for Terra...

She shifted her gaze to the leader. Now that would be strange. If any two titans were most distant it was the two of them. She knew he had secrets like she did. He was the careful and dark leader who put work before pleasure. But everyone in the tower knew he had a thing for Starfire, right?

There was a noise to her right that shook her attention. Lowering her book her eyes landed on a toy.

It was a small wind up piper boy toy. Its melody followed in a light rhythm. Raven made sure no one was looking before quickly getting up.

She walked over and grabbed the toy. Just as she did the wind up stopped.

Something else started up. Ravens eyes followed up a little further. Another had just started its melody.

Pressing a hand to her temple she followed the toy and grabbed it.

Raven spotted another at the bottom of the stairs. Quickly snatching it she heard another start at the top of the stairs.

She bit at her lip cursing in her head. A trail of pipers piping. She grabbed the forth from the top of the stairs and the fifth from in the hall.

She had to levitate the toys when the sixth and seventh lead her up some more stairs. Eight and nine lead her down another hall.

Raven stopped to pick up number ten. It was sitting outside one of the vacant tower rooms.

Raven gripped the door handle and pushed it open. There were two candles lit inside. She followed the bare walls to the middle of the room. There was a small table set up with a green and red candle as well as a white rose, the eleventh piper piping was beside the rose.

Raven picked up the rose feeling the soft pedals in her fingers. She spotted a piece of paper where the rose was laying. Pulling it up she unfolded it.

Dearest Raven,

One more day. Disappointed it's almost over?

-An Admirer

Her hands roamed over the rose petals while her thoughts swallowed her. There was only one day left. Tomorrow was Christmas eve. Raven passed a hand through her hair. She was not disappointed it was almost over.

Raven moved a hand over the two candles putting them out. In the darkness she grabbed the last piper and turned to leave.

The rest of the day Raven roamed the halls. Ever so often she'd stop and touch the glowing spirited lights or pull off some garland.

The whole time she was thinking.

She took each day and compared if it had been Beast Boy. She logically thought out each gift on how he could have gotten it done.

Then she took Robin and did the same.

By the end she was no closer to getting it. He had made it seem as though they were both equal subjects.

Raven contemplated getting advice. She wanted to get a females opinion, but that somehow didn't seem right. She couldn't ask Starfire about her thoughts the girl would be suspicious of her asking about Robin.

Changing her direction she made a decision, it was time to get some advice from Cyborg.

"See I wanted to know, well..." Raven stood near the metal man. He was working on his car, trying to replace the engine with a better model.

"Raven," The boy huffed and stood back up. His height towered over the girl. "Just say it."

"Could Beast Boy or Robin like me?" Raven tried more bluntly crossing her arms.

Cyborg cringed. "Well I guess, I mean anyone can like anyone right?"

"Which one would be the most likely candidate?"

Cyborg paused a second thinking to himself. "Honestly Raven, I don't know."

Raven gave a frustrated sigh.

"Were you expecting me to say Beast Boy?"

Raven met his eye. "Yes." She answered before looking back at the floor.

"Sorry, romance is not as simple to figure out." Cyborg pulled up a chair and sat down. "Why the interrogation?"

"I have a hunch one of them likes me." Raven moved to take up a seat.

"How do you feel about it?"

Raven smirked looking up at Cyborg. "You sound like a shrink." Cyborg grinned and nodded for her to continue. "It makes me mad I don't know who it is and that they are getting the better of me."

"No, no, no, would you ever go out with either of them?" Cyborg leaned forward pinning her with an intense gaze.

She shifted her eyes to the ground knowing already she'd wasted too much time. "Never!" She answered coldly not looking at the meta-human.

Cyborg smiled to himself spotting a lie.

"I should be going." Raven looked at him finally getting up from her chair. "You know Cyborg, they say opposites attract."

"They also say similarities last Raven."

Raven gave him a quizzical look before turning to leave. Men were defiantly more confusing than women...

Later that night somewhere in the tower he laid back on his bed. A white rose petal was pinned between his fingers. He watched it mesmerized a moment.

Tomorrow he'd see her.

He only wanted one thing for Christmas this year.

The petal slipped from his hand to land on the shadowed carpet. He'd seen Cyborg giving him funny looks at dinner. Cyborg also gave the same look to the other male titan.

Raven's admirer turned over on his bed to he was laying on his stomach. She must have went to him for help. By the way he had looked at both of them he knew Raven was still unsure.

Keep her in suspense until the end.

He closed his eyes imagining the next night. Everything was all set, there was just the last clue to put in place. The last gift to set up.

He glanced over to the other wall. The last gift sat waiting for its use.

Beside him he spotted his color candle. A perfect Christmas color. Wouldn't she be surprised?

Hehe. One left guys! One more and I get massive amounts of fruit thrown at me. -laughs-

I'm contemplating withholding the last chapter for like a week, just to drive you all mad.

Thanks for all reviews, you all make me so happy (and slightly threatened .) Review on your way out and I just might post the last ch quickly!

-Dragonslayer527