Disclaimer: Woohoo!

Chapter twenty-three, fueled by Mozart's Requiem! Sorry if chapter 22 was kinda boring. Sorry if this one is boring, too. it'll get better soon.

You should read 'A Clean Sheet' by Chibi1309. It's in my favorites list. It's incredible.

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When Beast Boy and Raven returned to Titans Tower, they were greeted over excitedly by Starfire, who was standing just inside the door and there was an eerie feeling that she had been waiting for them.

"Hello, friends!" she said happily, enthusiasm overflowing her tone as she clapped her hands.

"Hello, Starfire," Raven said.

"Hi Star," Beast Boy said. Starfire looked as though she could scarcely contain her excitement. Raven shuddered slightly at the extreme joy leaking from Starfire's every motion.

"What's going on?" she asked suspiciously.

"We have planned something glorious! We were wishing for your help, Friend Raven, but you were not home, so we persisted without you," Starfire said, a hint of disappointment in her voice, but then the excitement returned.

"What is this? You look way too happy for it to be anything I'm going to be able to stand," Raven said.

"We have done something for Beast Boy!" Starfire said, grabbing her friends around the shoulder. "Come, friends! We must journey to the living room now!" and then she whisked them off in the direction of the living room.

"Ah!" Beast Boy screamed as they zoomed down the hall toward the destination. "Starfire what's going on?"

"You will find out soon enough!" Starfire said gleefully.

"I don't really think I want to know," Raven said.

"Robin and Cyborg, I have found the others!" Starfire called out as she dragged Beast Boy and Raven into the living room.

"It's about time," came Cy's voice. Beast Boy looked around the room. It was festively decorated with strange crepe paper streamers and there was a large banner hanging from the ceiling that proclaimed 'Happy Venlucks, Beast Boy!'

"Um…uh…" Beast Boy said, confused beyond words. Cyborg and Robin were watching him, looking amused. "What is this?"

"It's…um….Venlucks," Robin said with a large grin.

"Gesundheit," Raven said from beside Beast Boy.

"No, Raven, Venlucks is a Tamaranian celebration of life! Whenever a loved one suffers from an experience where they come near to death but survive, we celebrate them still being with us! I do not like to bring up unpleasant memories, but I must. Friend Beast Boy, some time ago you…attempted the suicide, as I believe Robin has called it. However, you are still safe and alive with us, and we are most joyous! And so we must celebrate Venlucks for you!" Starfire explained. "We must celebrate the wonderful life of Beast Boy!"

"Um…OK," Beast Boy said, looking a bit overwhelmed.

"Wonderful!" Starfire said. She pulled a small bundle out of her pocket and unwrapped it. Inside were five bracelets, made of differently colored beads with strange symbols. She handed them each a bracelet. "Put them on!" she said happily.

"Definitely a fashion statement," Raven said dryly as she snapped the cheerful bracelet over her thin wrist.

"What do these funny symbols mean?" Beast Boy asked, examining the markings on the beads of his bracelet as he put it on.

"The colors and symbols all represent wonderful things you have done as our friend," Starfire explained as she put her own on and watched to make sure that Robin and Cyborg did also. "Each bead symbolizes one of them!"

"Cool," Beast Boy said. "So…uh…what do we do for this…Ven-blah-blah?"

"It is called Venlucks, Beast Boy. The first thing we must do is eat the traditional Tamaranian Cake of Life as we each take a moment to describe how important the one we are celebrating Venlucks for is to us!" Starfire said merrily.

"Cake of life huh? Does that involve any meat?" Beast Boy asked. Starfire shook her head.

"I know you are the eater of only the vegetables, so I left out the flesh of a swaznar. I do not know where to obtain a swaznar on Earth, anyway," she said.

"Good," Beast Boy said.

Starfire headed for the sofa and sat down. "Friends, take a seat!" she said. The other four sat down and Starfire ran for the kitchen.

"Uh…do you guys know anything about this Ven-la-ha-ha?" Beast Boy asked.

"Not really," Robin said. "We know everything she already said, but basically nothing else."

"I hope this holiday doesn't involve being beaten with a large spiky club like the Tamaranian independence day did," Cyborg said with a shudder. The other three nodded in agreement.

"That wasn't very pleasant," Raven said.

"Yeah. I think that scarred me for life," Robin remarked. There was a sound behind them, and Starfire came into the room, carrying a large plate with a remarkably strange looking cake on it.

"I have returned with the Cake of Life. We shall begin now?" she asked, sitting down beside Robin and putting the plate down on the sofa cushion on her other side.

"Uh…sure," Robin said. Starfire nodded and grabbed a chunk of the cake in her fist.

"We do not use knives on Venlucks," she said.

"O….Kaaay," Robin said, taking a hunk also. "So we just go around and tell how Beast Boy is important to us?"

"That is correct. Cyborg, you may go first," Starfire said. Cyborg took a bit of cake and eyed it suspiciously before beginning.

"Well…BB, you're the best friend I have. You're always there when I need someone to talk to, and you've always got my back. I'm really glad you didn't die, and if you ever need to talk to someone if you feel like…that again, I'll be here," Cyborg said.

"Aww. Thanks Cy. I'll remember that," Beast Boy said with a grin.

"OK um….Starfire, you go next," Cyborg said.

"Friend Beast Boy, you are my dear friend and you mean very much to me. I was very sorrowful when you attempted the suicide. I am most joyous, though, that you did not succeed and that you are still here with us. It is very good to see you happy again," Starfire said.

"Sorry I made you sad," Beast Boy said.

"It is alright. Robin, do you wish to go next?" Starfire said.

"Sure. Well, Beast Boy, I'm glad you're still with us, too. It wouldn't be the same without you. You're really important to all of us. You make everyone laugh….even Raven sometimes. You're a valuable member of this team, and you're an even more valuable friend. If you ever want to talk about what happened…I'll be here for you," Robin said.

"Thanks," Beast Boy said.

"No problem. Raven?" Robin asked.

Raven nodded. She took a moment to gather her words. "Beast Boy, you mean more to me than anything else in the world. I'm so glad that you're alive. I don't think I could survive without you here. It makes me so happy to see you smiling again. I really missed you when you were depressed. Yes, I even missed your jokes. I know this doesn't sound like me at all, but it's true," she said.

Beast Boy was smiling at her slightly shyly. "Thanks, Raven," he said. "Thanks, you guys. It's really nice to know that you care about me so much. I can't believe I was ever selfish enough to try to kill myself when it would make you all so sad. I didn't want to hurt anyone. I'm really glad I didn't die too, because I never really got a chance to live before. Thanks for making me happy to be alive again. I know I should never have tried to kill myself. I just missed Terra so much and I didn't think I could handle it."

"BB, we miss Terra too. All of us. You could have talked to us about how you were feeling. We would have helped," Cyborg said.

"Yeah. You didn't have to resort to suicide. We could have done something. Anything," Robin said.

"I know. And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, you guys. I know it was a bad thing to do, and I'll never do it again. I promise," Beast Boy said.

"That's good to hear," Raven said.

"Yes, very," Starfire agreed. "Would you all like to partake in the eating of the Cake of Life?"

"Um…OK," Beast Boy said, looking slightly afraid of the chunk of cake he was holding.

"Come on," Robin said, hesitantly taking a bite of cake and chewing slowly. "Not bad," he said.

"Seriously?" Beast Boy asked. He took a bite too. "Hey, you're right!" he said. Cyborg tasted it also.

"Tasty," he remarked. Starfire looked grateful and started eating also.

"Come on Raven!" Beast Boy said. "Taste it!"

"Thanks, but I'd rather not," Raven said.

"Oh come on," Beast Boy said.

"I-" Raven began. When she opened her mouth to speak, Beast Boy shoved a bite of cake into her mouth. Her eyes widened but she reluctantly started chewing. She swallowed and rolled her eyes at him. "It's not bad, Starfire," she said, and then looked at Beast Boy. "Really mature," she said sarcastically.

"Oh come on, you liked it, didn't you?" Beast Boy said with a sly grin.

"That's beside the point," Raven said, using her powers to hit him in the face with a piece of cake.

"Nice, Raven," Cyborg said, chuckling.

"And you said I was immature?" Beast Boy asked, wiping crumbs from his forehead.

Raven opened her mouth to say something when an irritating beeping started from somewhere behind them. Robin jumped up and hurried over to the scanner.

"Trouble," he said, looking at the screen. He turned around. "Titans, go!" he said, and the other four got up just in time to follow him out of the room at a sprint.

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Yep. Next chapter soon.