Author's note- Again, Thanks to everyone for the kind reviews..
Disclaimer- No ownership of characters. (But I did save 15 on my car insurance.)
CHAPTER EIGHT-No Turning Back
"Has anybody seen Raven?" Robin asked as he approached the Changeling and Cyborg. They were sitting on the couch completely engrossed in a new video game.
"No" replied Beast Boy.
"NaDa" Said Cyborg. "Whoo Hooo, take THAT, my animal friend!"
"Dude…you so cheated!.
"Did not"
"Did so"
Robin sighed and yelled, "STARFIRE!"
Starfire appeared on the second floor railing.
"Have you seen Raven?"
"No, Robin…I feel she must have stepped out for a walk." Star knew better, she knew Raven had not come back last night and now it was mid morning.
"It is time for our briefing." Robin's voice was becoming louder as each syllable poured out. "And I EXPECT everyone to be there on time!"
At that same instant, almost as if on cue, the front door opened.
Raven walked in the room, holding her shoes in one hand, sporting a somewhat wrinkled new dress.
"Where have you been?" Was the first words she heard from the Boy Wonder.
"Out." Was her terse reply.
"Out?" He asked. "Out where?"
"Just out." She replied, as she ascended the stairs.
"Dude, I think she was smiling." Beast Boy said as he turned toward Cyborg.
"Nah, Raven never smiles…must have been the light playing tricks on your eyes." Cyborg was talking and not even looking up from the large screen TV.
"No…really, Dude I think she was smiling." Beast Boy said with a puzzled look.
At the top of the stairs, Raven passed Starfire and headed toward her room. Starfire walking right on heels.
"Ok, let's have it." Starfire said as she followed Raven through the door of her room.
"Have what?"
"You know what." Starfire asked. "You promised me! Full details."
Raven took off her dress place it on a hanger and began to put on her usual attire. "Ok…sit down."
Starfire sat on the edge of Raven's bed, grabbed a pillow and pressed it against her stomach.
"Oh, glorious, glorious, glorious…I am ready."
Raven began, and to Starfire's delight, she recaptured all of the previous night's details. From the museum to the restaurant and then the loft.
"Oh, please friend Raven." Starfire was pleading. "Describe him to me."
Raven hesitated for just a second, then begin to relive her thoughts. As she began to elaborate on his appearance, Starfire clutched the pillow tighter. After she was finished, Starfire gasped slightly.
"You mean has only one eye?"
"Yes…but." Raven said.
"You mean like Slade?"
"STAR!" Raven wheeled around to face her.
Satrfire could tell from Raven's tone that she had unintentionally misspoken.
"I am sorry friend Raven…I..I… just meant physically…like him. Oh do please continue."
Raven left out no details, leading up to the song playing and the embrace. Starfire then flung herself back onto Raven's bed, still clutching the pillow.
"AHHHHH!" Starfire said while rolling around just like a pre teen girl talking to a friend about a first kiss. "I think I shall die! "It is sooooo, how do you say, romantic."
A loud banging at the door interrupted them.
"Starfire!" Raven!" It was Robin.
"WHAT!" Both girls replied in perfect unison.
"I have scheduled a briefing…"
"GO AWAY!" Again, both girls in harmony.
"AUGHHHH!" Robin clinched his fists in the hallway. "Women!" He was muttering to himself as he stammered down the hallway.
"Please continue Raven." Starfire was almost begging.
"I don't know Star…that's about it" Raven turned her head trying not to make eye contact.
Starfire was laying on the bed with her right arm holding the pillow next to her body and her left arm propping up her head.
"Raven…did you…?
"Did I what?"
"You know…did you….do it?
Raven was sitting on the edge of her bed, pulling on her sorcerer type of boots. She said nothing, but slightly tilted her head and smiled.
"YOU DID!" Starfire sat straight up. "You have to…I mean you promised me the details."
"Star, I don't know I mean…it's hard to explain. The music, the dancing…it…it was just a natural progression. Then the second time, this morning…"
"TWICE!" Starfire fell back onto the bed again, tossing and turning. "You did it twice! I am soooo dieing here!" Starfire was now kicking her feet in the air. Raven let out a small laugh, shook her head.
"Star."
"Oh, yes…what, yes,yes."
"You really need to get out more."
Ben was furiously working out on a punching bag in the corner of his loft. The relentless staccato sounds from combination punches kept his mind off other things.
"Sir."
Ben stopped for a moment, holding the bag still with both hands.
"Yes Maurice?"
"I have your lunch prepared, it is waiting for you in the kitchen"
"Thank you, Maurice, you may go"
"Very well" He began to walk away, then suddenly stopped. "Sir?"
"Yes." Ben responded, slightly annoyed.
"The young lady…she is well? Maurice's tone was now of concern. Enough of concern as to cause Ben to get somewhat angered.
"Yes Maurice…she is fine."
"It's just that…well… she bears a striking resemblance to…" Maurice's word were cut short very rudely.
"I KNOW WHO SHE LOOKS LIKE!" Ben exclaimed, throwing several punches into the leather bag.
"Please forgive me sir. It was just an observation." Maurice backed slowly out of the gym area and left.
The punching bag was now taking a beating. But nothing compared to the thoughts rushing through Ben's mind. Eight and a half million people in this freaking city. Some are going to resemble each other. No freaking (punch) big (punch) DEAL! (roundhouse kick).
Raven had arranged to meet Ben Sunday evening. There was a string quartet playing at the park. It was open to the public and everyone would bring blankets, sit on a grassy area shaped like a bowl that overlooked a small open air amphitheatre. They barely spoke during the performance. A lot of gazing, holding hands, and massaging shoulders. Typical things people do, when they think they are following in love. As they last song of the evening ended, Ben stood up and stretched.
"Where to now my mystery lady?"
"Doesn't matter to me." Raven replied. She then looked up suddenly, "Why did you call me that?"
"Well…lets see." Ben was talking as he finishing folding the blanket. "For one thing, I don't even know your last name."
Raven hesitated for a few seconds, she looked down and began to brush off some loose leaves that had attached to her denim skirt. "I…I don't really use one. I mean does it matter?"
"No." He said. "How about where do you live?"
"Down by the Bay." She said quickly, as they began to walk up the hill, arm in arm.
Ben stopped. "Why don't we go by your house? I would love to see it."
"NO!" Raven almost gasped. "I mean, no…the friends I live with…they are so immature and there is no privacy. Can't we just back to your place…I love it there?"
"Sure." Ben was chuckling under his breath. "Seeing how you have cleared everything up for me."
"Are you being sarcastic?"
"Perhaps, but it's all right, Rae." They began to walk down the sidewalk towards Ben's loft. "We all have our secrets."
"Oh, yea…maybe YOU should tell me yours." Raven's voice was as flirtatious as she could make it.
"If I did that." He paused, as if to choose his words carefully . "Then they wouldn't be secrets, now would they?"
They reached the door to Ben's loft. As he was turning the key he looked down at Raven.
"Now, are you going to control yourself tonight?"
"Why, Mr. Wilson!" Raven said with her best Scarlett O'Hare impersonation. "I can control my emotions much longer than you think."
Ben smiled, shook his head as they went through the door. He helped Raven remove her jacket and placed it neatly on a empty Queen Anne chair. The instant he removed his hand from the chair, Raven grabbed him around the waist and with one motion flung him onto the sofa.
"Time's up!" She exclaimed gleefully, while straddling her victim.
"So much for self control." Ben said, as they began a deep kiss.
"Actually, you lasted longer than I thought." Ben muttered when their lips finally parted. Raven punched him in the arm. "Ow!"
Raven again employed the southern belle voice, "Just what kind of girl do you think I am?"
"Violent definitely seems appropriate." His reply was met with a playful blow to the other arm.
As their embrace began to intensify, he felt the headband that held his eye band start to slip. Instinctively, he reached up to secure it, but his hand was met with Raven's. With her face only an inch from his. She slowly began to remove his last barrier of emotional defense. Ben studied her face with agony as he let her expose his scarred eye. To his surprise, she did not blink. No grimace, not the slightest hint of disgust. She gently kissed him between the eyes, sat up to removed her top. She slid to the back of the couch pulling him over, on top of her.
He now knew. There was no doubt. He was totally under the spell of this…this mystery woman. All of the past and all of the future mattered little now. There was no turning back.
Author's note- Hang in there. The next few chapters are actually pretty good.
