Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans, but I'm not making money from this, so you can't sue me.

Chapter 6. What almost was.

When Raven woke up, she noticed that she had once again fallen asleep and Valere had returned her to her room. 'I fell asleep in his presence again… well at lest I didn't fall asleep in his arms again.' She thought.

She got out of bed and looked out the window. It was not long before dawn. She left her room and went into the living room. Valere was talking with Malchior again. Her rage built up.

Valere knew she was there and dismissed the astral image of the book. She stormed over to him. "Why do you continue to talk to him? He is evil!" She yelled.

He looked her in the eyes. "I knew what he was from the beginning and he knew that I knew. I rarely sleep and need company. He's been locked away in a book for ten thousand years and kind of got bored. When you released him temporarily you only made the need for company in him stronger. Then, there's always the fact that we both have a thirst for knowledge, most of what we know the other does not."

She calmed. "He'll try to use you to get free."

He laughed. "I've heard every thought he has had to try to get free. He knows he can't use me."

She sighed. "Wait a minute." She put on a curious face. "Why do you rarely sleep?"

"I don't need sleep to rejuvenate myself." He began to explain. "I only sleep to cope with stress, just like I don't eat food for nourishment, only to get rid of the hunger."

"How is that possible?" She questioned.

"I have mastered a form of meditation that links my soul to the planet and through this I can gain energy and nourishment." He answered.

She moved close to him. "Can you teach me this?"

He moved closer to her. "It toke me thirteen years to even master connecting to the planet."

She moved within an inch of his face. "I've been meditating for most of my life."

"That will make it a lot easier." He whispered as he moved his lips towards hers.

Robin came into the living room just then. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

Raven pulled away. "No." She said. "Valere was telling me about a better from of meditation."

Robin cocked an eyebrow. "Really?" She just nodded back to him. "Well… what would you two like for breakfast? It's my turn to cook."

"I'll have whatever Beast Boy's having," Valere said as Beast Boy walked in. "and some herbal tea." He turned to Raven.

"You'll have to answer another question." She was playing with him and he knew it.

He smiled. "You will always have questions for me and I will always answer them."

She turned to Robin. "I'll have some toast with my tea."

Robin turned to Beast Boy. "And you?"

"I'm not that hungry this morning." He said and walked off.

Robin turned back to Valere and gave a questioning look. "Some toast too, I guess." Valere told him.

Robin went into the kitchen just as the other two titans arrived.

Valere spent his day with Cyborg, learning what he could and even showing him a way to make everyone of his systems 10 faster. Robin had seemed stressed, so Beast Boy had dragged him out of the tower for some R and R. Raven and Starfire sat out on a small beach on the island staring out at the river.

Starfire looked down at the sand and started to draw symbols. "Friend Raven, I think that I am falling in the love with one of our friends who are boys."

Raven looked over at her friend. "If it is Robin, he is already in love with you."

Starfire shook her head. "It is not him that I have these feelings for."

"Well," Raven started, "you will just have to be honest and tell him."

Starfire nodded. "That is what I thought I would have to do."

Raven thought about what had nearly happened between her and Valere. She sat with Starfire, on the beach, until lunch.