Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans….But I do own this nifty piggy bank (it sings!)
A/N: Sorry for the wait---enjoy!
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When he returned to the infirmary, Raven had already been changed and cleaned up. Just looking at her, it was hard to believe she was hurt…hard to believe she wasn't simply sleeping. The white of the wrappings around her wrist were the only reminders of what had happened earlier that evening…For a second, all he could see was her laying there on the floor, the ground smeared in red…the pale moonlight….shivering, he tried to force the image far into the back reaches of his mind.
Robin and Starfire were no longer in the room, leaving Cyborg sitting by Raven's side. "Robin's trying to comfort Star." He said after a moment, hearing Beast Boy enter. Relinquishing the chair to his green friend, he let out a deep sigh.
"I should have seen this coming." Beast Boy said angrily, clenching his hand together. He had seen everything that had happened…he knew she was acting oddly…but to think she'd go this far…
"Don't blame yourself." Came the instant response. "Four superheroes and none of us could do anything to prevent this…A sad situation." For a moment the two sat in silence, watching the girl before them. Finally, breaking the somber mood, Cyborg stood up. "I'm going to power down—if you start getting tired or anything, come get me." Beast Boy nodded numbly, not taking his eyes off Raven.
Hesitantly, he reached out to touch her hand, his fingers interlocking with her own. He watched the steady rise and fall of her chest, the strands of hair across her face, still damp from sweat from her earlier actions. His emotions were still unsteady. He felt like he should be mad, that he should be angry over what she just did…but seeing her like this, so defenseless…his anger dissolved, leaving a hollow feeling in his chest.
"Raven...you are an idiot." He told the girl softly. "And I'm so going to yell at you later for this." Gently, he squeezed her hand. "We are here for you…I am here for you. If you die…" He stopped, refusing to think of what would happen if she died. "I'm going to help you."
There had to be a way to get through to her…to let her know they were here for her, that she wasn't alone…that no matter how hard it was getting, she didn't need to die. She couldn't die.
He stayed by her side the rest of the night, forcing his eyes to stay open. A part of him was gently telling him he should sleep. That he'd be of no use if he didn't get some rest. But to leave her was out of the question. What if she woke up? What if something happened and he wasn't here? No, he had to stay.
The swooshing sound of the door opening hardly affected him, and he jumped a bit when a hand was placed on his shoulder. Turning his head slightly, he saw the Titan leader peering down at him. "What's up Robin?" He forced a smile on his lips.
"Is everything alright?" The leader cocked his head slightly, his expression serious. By the looks of his tired face, Beast Boy doubted he had gotten much sleep either.
"She hasn't moved—so, I guess that's alright if you call that alright," Robin merely shook his head.
"I'm talking about you---are you alright?" Pulling up a chair to the other side of Raven, he stared over at the changeling.
"Of course!" Beast Boy said, trying to make his voice sound back to his happy self. The other boy just continued to stare at him, seeing right through the words. "Alright, I'm not great, but dude, Raven tried to do herself in." Robin nodded, and for awhile they sat in silence.
"Why don't you get some sleep? I'll take over." He told him. Beast Boy started to protest, but instead nodded. He was getting to the point he might accidentally nod off—and if no one was here when she woke up, and she decided to do something drastic…
"I'm sleeping here though." He said pointedly, shifting to get more comfortable on his chair. The leader opened his mouth, looking ready to say something, but instead simply shrugged.
Beast Boy only left the room when he had to. For the most part he sat in the chair, just waiting for her to come to, waiting for her to open her eyes, to wake up…he didn't know what would happen when she did…but…
Two days later, he was sitting in the same chair, his head propped up with his arms. A part of him was dazing off, the late night beginning to get to him. He was starting to fall into the state of half dreaming, and wasn't sure where the dream ended and reality began. A soft moan from the bed snapped him to attention, and he was suddenly back in the room, his hands clutching the chair underneath him. Was she…?
For awhile, nothing happened. Maybe he had imagined it? Then, his heart leapt into his throat as he saw her eyes move, then open up wide. Her confusion was evident all over her face, her entire body more filled with emotion then he had ever seen it. She looked panicked, shocked…the wide eyed look giving her a sense of fear…and insanity. She didn't seem to know what was going on…
"Raven?" He said, starting to reach out. She didn't notice his words…didn't notice him. Instead, she clamored to the side of the bed, falling to the floor from the weight of her own body. She was staring feverishly at the door, dragging herself…trying to escape.
He wasn't going to let her go. He wasn't going to let her do whatever it is she was planning. As much as he wanted to believe she was trying to go do anything other then hurt herself more…from everything that had happened, he doubted it was the case.
This time, he was going to stop her.
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Raven wasn't sure what had happened. She thought she should be dead, that all of her emotions, that all of her thoughts ought to be silenced. Instead, she could still feel them in the back of her mind, a constant aching that refused to go away. I can't be…alive?
Her eyes did not want to open. If she opened them, then she would have to accept wherever she was…whatever that had happened to her. She felt so tired…so drained. Her wrists were throbbing and she had a nauseating feeling in the pit of her stomach. Unintentionally she let out a soft moan as the senses overwhelmed her.
No…I'm not suppose to be alive. Her mind fought with her senses, trying to shut them down. Finally, her eyes flickered opened. Panicked, she stared around at the room, unsure where she was. The infirmary. There had been some horrible mistake. Raven kept repeating this thought over and over in her head, her own body taking over. Crawling off the bed, she tried to stand on her two legs before toppling over to the floor. The door…so close…she had to get out…Her eyes were trembling in her sockets, making it hard to focus as she slowly pulled herself forward. I must finish this.
She wasn't supposed to be alive. She needed to fix the mistake...she needed to go away. No one could see her like this. She was darkness. She was a shadow. She shouldn't be here. Her thoughts spun round in her head, suddenly crashing to a stop as someone gently tugged on her shoulders. Startled, she spun around to face the person, flaying her arms at whomever it was trying to stop her. Her wrists stung as they were pushed against the floor, and for a second she couldn't make out who it was, the person silhouetted in the light.
"Let go of me!" She managed to yell, not caring how desperate her voice sounded. This wasn't supposed to be happening. She had to fix it.
"Raven, stop!" The guy bent close to her, Beast Boy's face peering down at her. His expression was mixed with fear and worry, as she continued to try to free herself. "Calm down!"
"This isn't right!" She managed to say. "I'm suppose to be dead." Her last words came out as a hiss. "Let me go!" Her eyes turned black, Beast Boy being shoved into the far wall. She levitated herself up, hovering unsteadily in the air, before a hand gripped her, spinning her around. Beast Boy looked at her, his eyebrows furrowed, his expression turning into a frown.
"And where will you go?" He asked softly. A soft trembling ran from his fingertips into her arm.
"It's none of your concern." She looked him evenly in the eyes…but…the trembling in his hands only increased her own shaking, her own uncertainties. He reached out, gripping both of her shoulders.
"Raven—Stop this!" His voice was choked, and his eyes were looking at her pleadingly, his fingers digging into her skin. "I don't want you to die!"
"It doesn't matter what you want." Raven said venomously, trying to push him away from her. Instead, his grip tightened and he pulled her into him, his arms wrapping tightly around her.
"I'm not going to let you die." His words were hardly above a whisper. "Stop this Raven! Stop trying to be strong—stop trying to pretend nothings wrong. Stop pretending you want to die."
"I'm no—"
"Yes you are!" His words cut her off. "I—we care about you too much to let you do this!"
"I'm really not…" she struggled to say, finding her body slowly going numb. She would have sunk to the floor if Beast Boy hadn't been there.
"It's okay Raven."
"No…" Again her words trailed off. Everything from the last few days…everything from Malvern's death to her own thoughts…came rushing back to her. "I didn't want him to die." She choked out, her head leaning against him. "It was my fault—and…I"
"It wasn't your fault." How could he say that so calmly, like he really knew?
"You don't understand!" Attempting to maker her words come out hatefully towards him, she was surprised when instead her voice wavered, making them almost pleading in nature.
"No, I don't." He said simply. "But I know it wasn't your fault." The last of her strength was failing her. The two of them sunk to the floor, his arms still around her, one hand stroking her head, telling her over and over that everything was going to be fine. What did he know? He doesn't know anything…how could he…
Still…to be in his comforting grasp…to be told that they cared for her…that it wasn't her fault…she felt herself slowly letting go of the anger—of the want to end it all…Everything she had put out instead of simply accepting the death, accepting she wanted to cry, to grieve…to for once get emotional over what had happened. Someone…someone was there for her. He…he appeared to care. And…even if she wasn't sure if it was real, if it wasn't all a lie…he was there for her, at this moment. And for now, that was enough.
Without even realizing it, she gripped the changeling tightly with her own arms, her face hiding in his chest as she let out the feelings she had been holding in, crying over the loss, her own hurting…over everything.
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Raven cowered in his arms, sobbing into his chest as he tried his best to comfort her. He had never seen her this way…this vulnerable…this human. He felt his heart twist in his chest for her, for whatever it was she was going through. I was useless! He ripped at himself. Being the funny guy and not being able to do anything as she got worse and worse. He wanted to protect her...to do anything he could to get her to stop crying.
Why…when in situations like this…did the first thing he wanted to do was to simply say those three little words to her? He wanted to tell her how much she meant to him…but it wouldn't be fair right now, right when she was like this…But...the beating in his chest, everything...
Raven…had grown quiet as she cried…exhausted by her tears and once again falling asleep. Having her so close to him, her arms still around him…
The door flying open interrupted his thoughts, and in peered Starfire and Cyborg, who were debating who would be watching Raven next. Starfire slapped her hand over her mouth as she almost let out a shriek of delight at seeing the girl awake. He raised one finger to his mouth, and slowly picked Raven back up. She muttered something unintelligible as he set her back down on the doctors table, almost looking like she was about to wake up, before falling once again into slumber.
He carefully went outside, where Cyborg and Starfire were waiting for him. "She is awake!" Starfire cried happily, but then her face fell. "She was…crying, was she not?"
"Crying might be good for her." Cyborg put one hand on the back of the head. "Well, better then the other alternative." Both Beast Boy and Starfire glared at him. "Hey, hey, it's only the truth."
"Raven will be all right now, correct?" Starfire looked hopeful. "I do not like seeing her this way."
"Hopefully." The changeling said, then grinned. "After all, I am the one watching over her." Despite these smug words…doubts still plagued his mind--Raven lying on the floor...she crying in his arms--He didn't know what was going to happen.
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This is the shortest chapter so far…and sorry about that lol, but at the same time, it didn't feel right to make it any longer….
Anyway, writing is wonderful, reading is grand…and Reviews…
Priceless.
