Love Madness

Chapter 2: Resistance

Author's note: My thanks for reviews to… StArFiReRaVen, Audie, AzhureTigress, Dakyu, D/Sphantomteentiansfan, Chronos the Cat and Master Chief

"Ahhh!" Beast Boy ran by the living room door, with Raven running after him. The rest of the Teen Titans sat in the living room watching TV.

"I can't believe they've been doing that all day," said Robin arm wrestling Cyborg for the remote control.

"She should calm down a little tonight. It's usually worst for the first several hours," explained Arrow.

"She should be back to her normal self soon, then!"

"Not quite, Star Fire. The after effects still last for a month, and there is the possibility that they might flare up again once in a while."

"Oh."

"Beast Boy!" Raven ran after him, wrapped her arms around him and hugged. "You're sooooo cute!"

"R-Raven, you're strangling me!" Beast Boy gasped as Raven squeezed him. Raven stared into his eyes. Beast Boy gulped, but couldn't seem to look away. Raven blinked and released Beast Boy.

"What am I doing?" Raven paused and pulled her hood up. Then she turned and walked to her room, shutting the door behind her. Beast Boy sighed, mostly in relief, yet there was a strange let down feeling. He stood there for a while, staring at Raven's door with out really seeing it…

"Star Fire, I don't know what to do. I've rarely felt so strongly about something! But whenever I approach Beast Boy he runs away. I don't want to have to use my powers against him…" Raven sat on the edge of her bed, next to Star Fire.

"Raven," Star Fire said gently, "Part of the reason why you feel this way is because of that arrow that hit you."

"Joy… I feel like I love someone, but it's not real."

"But you do feel it, so the emotion is real enough."

"But what am I supposed to do about it!?"

"Perhaps you should… Ask him out?"

Raven looked at Star Fire like she'd grown another head.

"Look, I need to meditate, so could you go do something else?"

"Very well." Star Fire got up and shut the door behind her.

Raven crossed her legs and starting floating. Must focus. This feeling is not real. I must not be swayed by it.

Star Fire entered the living room. Arrow, Robin, Cyborg and Terra were playing Super Psyched Out Space Racer, while Beast Boy was hiding under the coffee table in the form of a mouse. He saw Star Fire and peaked out.

"So… How is she?"

"She is meditating. She realizes that it is the arrow making her feel this way. She does not seem happy, but she is less hyper now."

Beast Boy sighed.

Maybe things will return to normal now. Yesterday was a nightmare! And to think that I used to dream about girls chasing me… One is too many… Although, I wouldn't mind if Raven actually liked me. I think… But man is she scary when her power is out of whack.

The next morning Beast Boy opened his door and stepped out of his room. He felt something brushing against his feet. When he looked down he saw a river of purple hearts and bubbles floating down the hall.

"What on earth?" Beast Boy scooped up a handful. Oh no…Purple. Don't tell me. Beast Boy transformed into a hound dog and, sniffing as he went, followed the heart and bubble stream to its source. The door to Raven's room. Beast Boy crouched down, but sneezed when a bubble hit him on the nose. He froze. Raven's room remained silent and he sighed in relief.

Suddenly the door opened and a wave of purple hearts hit Beast Boy and carried him "down stream", choking on bubbles. When he finally came to a sputtering, coughing, stop, it was in the living room. Most of the hearts and bubbles disappeared, but several still clung to him. Beast Boy shook himself, sending purple heart shaped bubbles floating around the room. He transformed to himself and looked around. Robin, Star Fire, Terra, Cyborg and Arrow were all there, now covered in purple heart bubbles. Beast Boy laughed and pointed at them.

"You guys look ridiculous!"

"This is you're fault you know," Said Cyborg.

"Oh come on, I'm not the one who made the bubbles."

"No," said Robin, attempting to brush the bubbles off of himself, "but you are the one who shot Raven with that arrow."

"True," Beast Boy stuck his hand behind his head, "but you guys still look funny. Even kind of cute."

"That does it! Pig pile on Beast Boy!"

"Ah! No!" Beast Boy started running around the room with Cyborg and Robin chasing him.

"Do you have to make such a racket this early in the morning?" asked Raven, using her powers to get herself a cup of juice.

Beast Boy changed to a cat and hid behind Star Fire, but Raven paid him no hied. Robin glanced around, but the second Raven had entered all the bubbles had popped.

Oh boy. It seems like she's suppressing her emotions instead of dealing with them.

After breakfast Star Fire approached Raven.

"Terra and I are going to the mall of shopping today, would you like to come?"

"No, I have meditating to do."

Terra walked over.

"Oh come on Raven, it might do you good to get out of here and take a break from all this."

"I don't," Raven's words were drowned out by shouting. The girls looked at the entrance to the living room. They walked over and peered into the room. Beast Boy was perched on top of the TV as a tiger, while Arrow, Robin and Cyborg struggled with a purple, black and pink creature that had feathered wings and a storm of blossom petals swirling around it. It had paws and legs like that of a cat, a head and tail like a horse, torso like a human and body something vaguely like a canine. It also had several long octopus like arms. It had Arrow and Robin each rapped up in an arm, and was standing on Cyborg so that it could sniff at Beast Boy.

"A little help here?" called Robin, for the girls were just standing there gaping at the monster and boys.

"It does not appear to wish you any harm," said Star Fire floating next to Robin.

Terra and Raven just stood there blinking.

"So this is what you guys were concerned about," commented Arrow from his position dangling upside down from the creature's arm.

"Oh my word. Uh… Raven, can't you do something about this?" Terra questioned.

"Yes. I will go to the mall after all."

"What? The mall!?" Cyborg grunted from his position under the monster. "How the heck's that gonna help!"

"I need a brake. Come." Raven left the room with Star Fire and Terra trailing after her.

The monster disappeared, dropping Arrow and Robin on top of Cyborg.

"Ow!"

"Ouch!"

"Oof!" Arrow untangled himself from Robin's cape. "No wonder you guys were so worried. That lady is… is powerful, yet she seems to be just barely under control."

"You should see what it's like inside her mind!" Beast Boy sat on the TV in his normal form.

"You've seen inside her mind?" asked Arrow in amazement.

"Eh heh… It's kind of a long story…"

"No kidding," agreed Cyborg.

"Really. Well Beast Boy, I'll admit, I haven't been here for very long, but it seems to me that you actually like Raven."

"W-what gives you that idea?"

"Oh, just the way you act… It seems like someone who can't quite come to terms with themselves for loving the person that they do…"

"Love! No way! Besides, even if I did, this just from that stupid arrow. Raven doesn't really feel for me like that…"

"Where shall we go first?" Star Fire asked as the three girls stood just inside the mall entrance.

"Well, I've already got new stuff from my shopping trip the other day. I don't know how you're doing on things Star, but I think we should focus on Raven today."

"Wonderful!" Star Fire turned to Raven, "What would you like to do?"

"Hey, maybe we should find her a cool dress so she has something to wear besides that gymnastic suit that she always wears!"

"What is wrong with it?" Raven asked in a dangerous tone.

"Nothing! I just think it'd be nice for you to have some wardrobe options. We could look for a black dress."

Raven considered that for a moment.

"Black. Or purple might be interesting…"

"Great! Let us start shopping!" Star Fire and Terra each grabbed one of Raven's arms and took off running towards a clothing shop. Raven's hood fell back as she was whipped through the air.

"This has been a most happy shopping trip!" exclaimed Star Fire, carrying five bags.

"That was fun, wasn't it?" asked Terra who was carrying three bags herself, "And I never thought having Raven along would make things so much easier!"

"You shouldn't buy more than you can carry yourselves," said Raven, using her powers to bring along ten bags.

They got to Titan tower, and once in the hall way leading to their rooms, Raven took her single bag with her by hand, and left the rest for Star Fire and Terra to manage.

"Do you think we overdid the shopping a little bit?" Asked Terra lugging several bags to the kitchen.

"Perhaps… But we had to buy enough food for everyone as well as fun stuff…"

The next evening Robin, Arrow, Star Fire, Terra and Cyborg were watching TV. Raven was in the room, but reading a book.

Beast Boy came in holding a book titled "Favorite Pets".

"I think we should get a pet!"

"I've always thought it would be nice to have a cat!" Star Fire exclaimed.

"Dog. If you're gonna get a pet, definitely go with a dog," said Cyborg.

"An Iguana might be cool." Said Robin.

"How about a hamster," suggested Terra.

"I've always fancied foxes, myself," said Arrow. The others stared at him.

"Foxes are wild." Said Cyborg.

"The wild ones should stay in the wild but there are actually some that are raised for fur that have been domesticated."

"Fur!" Beast Boy changed to a tiger and leapt in front of Arrow, "You want a creature for its fur!!!"

"Woah! Take it easy!" exclaimed Arrow, holding up his hands, "I don't want it for its fur, but there are some that are kept for that reason and I think it'd be nice to rescue them, and that a domesticated one would be cool to have around."

"What do you think Raven?" Beast Boy asked somewhat cautiously. Everyone turned to her.

"I like crows and ravens."

Everyone sweat dropped anime style.

"That's not any better than a fox!" exclaimed Cyborg.

"We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming to bring you this breaking news!" announced the TV.

"Aw, come on! It was just getting interesting." Cyborg folded his arms.

"Reports are coming in that the Children's Petting zoo, which was hosting a birthday party tonight is on fire. Whether everyone is out safely or not is unknown, but authorities are urging people to stay away from the district. What started the fire is unknown. We will inform you as soon as more information is known

"We now return you to your program."

"Oh, like I'm gonna to be able to concentrate on the program now."

"Well guys, shall we go help?" Robin looked around the room.

"But of course," Arrow got to his feet, "what kind of heroes would we be if we didn't?"

"All those poor children!" Exclaimed Star Fire.

"All those poor animals!" exclaimed Beast Boy.

"All those poor viewers! Now we don't know part of what happened in the show!" exclaimed Raven. Everyone stared at her.

"I thought you were reading a book," said Robin.

"Ahem," Raven pulled her hood up, "Sorry. Never mind."

When the Teen Titans got to the burning building, there was a huge crowd of people and animals outside.

"What's the situation?" Robin asked a fireman.

"We have everyone out, except for two children and an alpaca that are trapped inside."

"What is an alpaca?" asked Star Fire.

"It's kind of like a llama, only smaller," explained Beast Boy.

"What is a llama?"

"We'll explain it to you later, right now we don't have the time!" exclaimed Robin.

The Titans rushed into the building. There were cries for help coming from the other side of a wall of fire. Terra used her powers to send a large stone floor slab at the firey wall. It collapsed the burning petition leaving a small entry way free of fire. Robin ran through it, with Star Fire flying after him. The others followed. Inside was a row of wooden stalls, which were now in flame.

"Help!"

"Maw!"

The Titans ran down the burning hallway until they located the source of the sound. Trapped in what would be a stall, which now had flaming wooden walls, were two children and a black alpaca.

"Hang in there kids! We'll get you out!" Robin called, looking frantically for a way in.

"What about Cherub!" cried the girl her arms clutching the alpaca around the neck. The boy sat next to them, his legs drawn up to his chest.

Cyborg took his robotic arm and smashed the metal latch on the stall door. The burning door swung open. Star Fire flew in and picked up the boy. Robin ran in and went to grab the girl, but she clung desperately to the alpaca.

"I won't leave Cherub!"

"He's our friend!" The boy is Star Fire's arms reached out towards the Alpaca.

"Don't worry, we'll get him too, but first you've got to come with me." Robin held out his arms. The girl looked reluctantly at Cherub.

"Promise you'll save him too?"

"I promise, now come on, before the building collapses." The girl ran by Robin, leaving him crouched with out stretched arms, and clutched Arrow.

"You've got to save Cherub! She's so frightened she won't move!"

"All right, we'll rescue Cherub too, but first we've got to get you out of here."

"No! I'm not leaving Cherub!"

"Listen, you go with Robin, and I'll get Cherub, okay?"

The girl paused, then said, "All right."

Robin picked up the girl. Star Fire and Robin ran out of the building carrying the children, while Terra and Cyborg cleared the way.

"Molly!"

"Tayler!" Two women rushed at Star Fire and Robin. They grabbed the children out of their arms and squeezed them.

"Oh thank heavens you're all right!" cried the mother holding the boy.

"Mom, can't breath!" the boy, Tayler pried his mom's arms away from his neck.

"Sorry honey."

Just then the roof of the building collapsed, fire burning high in the air despite the water from the fire hoses.

Molly screamed.

"Molly! Molly! Your mamma's here now, everything's all right!"

"No it's not mamma, Cherub's still inside!"

"Oh no! I'm so sorry dear."

"You said you were going to rescue Cherub!" The girl glared at Robin.

"I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do now."

"Arrow's still in there!" gasped Terra.

"Robin! Where are Beast Boy and Raven?" Star Fire grasped Robin's hand.

Robin spun around in alarm.

"Oh no…" Cyborg stared at the burning building.

"They're still in there, aren't they… All of them…" Robin clutched Star Fire's hand.

Robin, Star Fire, Terra and Cyborg stood there, staring at the flames dancing in the night.

To Be continued…

Author's note: I know, I know, that's a terrible spot to leave off. But this chapter has been giving me trouble and I'm really busy right now. I don't know when I'll get another chapter of this done. (It doesn't help that I'm currently writing quite a few things at once, and that I need to work on a couple of other projects…) I hope this chapter wasn't too much worse than the first one, but let me know what you think anyway.