Well, the first one seemed to go over well with my reviewers…I suppose, because I've only written Pokémon fics before, I shouldn't expect much response. Once I've written a larger amount, I think I can say "why haven't more people reviewed?"

But not yet.

More stuff at the end.

---

Raven was awake before dawn this day, though she wasn't one for rising early, despite what many people seemed to think. "Up with the sun, down with the moon…" Wasn't that how people like her were supposed to be?

People like her. Raven snorted. How many people were like her? She knew what others, both human and superhuman, thought of her, in general terms; one isn't empathic for kicks, after all…but that didn't stop her from wondering:

Do they like me?

Do they care?

Do they know who I really am?

Would they hate me if they knew?

The first and last of these being the most crucial. She knew for a fact some of those closest to her absolutely hated her; Beast Boy, for instance, could care less about her. The feelings had been mutual for a long time; he had an easy life. It wasn't fair that she had to meditate every day to keep her powers in line, while he could just think and poof, it's Beast Boy the lion. It wasn't fair that he didn't need to work for his control.

The teakettle whistled. Realizing it would wake the others up, she quickly shielded the top of the kettle, simultaneously lifting it off the stove and turning it off. Her powers were handy, she had to admit. Being able to do three things at once by concentrating on her sadness was convenient, but came at a cost. Raven sighed, now pouring the tea into her cup. It splashed a bit, and she automatically cleaned it up. Keeping things clean was an issue with Raven at times, though she had a logical reason for it

Dirt was impure. Impurities brought in evil, and evil would bring…well, she'd rather just keep things clean. Lifting the cup to her mouth with both hands, Raven blew, cooling the drink off while wondering whether to add anything. Sugar would make it too sweet, milk too cold. She glanced around.

Cream. Lukewarm, probably from Starfire leaving it out overnight, but it would suit her purposes. Raven took the small container of cream and poured it into her tea. A few drops of it spilled out, landing on the floor; Raven didn't notice. She sighed deeper, picking up her creamy tea and phasing through the ceiling. A hydraulic murmur preceded a small green creature as it poked its head in the room and looked around. Noticing the room was empty, the kitten (for that was what it was) crept to the counter and cleaned up the cream.

A second loud hydraulic hiss announced Robin's presence before he entered the room, stretching slightly. He looked down at the feline and up at the kettle. The Boy Wonder walked over and touched the china. Still warm.

"Raven?" The cat looked up at Robin, somehow seeming depressed and morose at the name. It shrugged its shoulders somehow, then nodded at the stairs when the Titan leader asked where the kettle-user might be. Robin nodded, almost to himself, and walked up the stairs, headed to the roof. Beast Boy looked after him sadly, smiled half-heartedly, and walked towards the stairs himself, licking his whiskers.

---

Raven crossed her legs and slowly began to levitate. Perhaps, if she woke up earlier, and she had more time to meditate, she could erase her emotions. Maybe…just maybe, she could change her destiny. The amethyst-eyed girl shook her head, almost laughing ironically. Destiny, by definition, was not something to be changeable.

Destiny was what was meant to happen.

She couldn't change that. Frowning slightly, Raven didn't notice footsteps behind her at first. Only when Robin plopped down next to her did she start, falling down next to him in shock. The teacup she had been holding dropped, and would have broken and soaked through the empath's leotard if Robin hadn't used his reflexes to his advantage.

Raven cracked a very small smile. "Thanks." Deciding to avoid all pleasantries, Robin began talking.

"You're up early." Raven shrugged.

"Just…woke up, that's all."

"Did you spill something downstairs when making your morning tea?" A bit surprised at where the conversation was going, Raven blinked owlishly.

"I don't think so...what does that have to do with any—" Robin held up a hand.

"I'm getting there, Raven." He handed her back her tea. She took a sip, wondering what on Earth this boy, who she trusted a slight more than the others, was thinking. Raven could have found out, of course, but she respected other's privacy in all but the most extreme situations. "You know, Raven, we all care about you."

Raven was silent. "Don't think, just because we don't all accept what you are, doesn't mean we don't care."

"I don't." This was true, more than Robin knew; though he knew her better than most, he didn't know her well enough for her to consider him able to accept "what she was," let alone the rest of the Titans. She was quite for a moment, trying to figure out the connection. Raven turned slightly, to look better at Robin. A speck of green at the corner of her vision made it all connect.

"Beast Boy." Robin nodded.

"Don't think I haven't noticed. And it's not just him; it's Starfire too, and Cyborg. We care…I think the others don't know you well enough, they can't understand exactly why you are the way you are. Maybe you could, you know, talk to them? Get to know them…let them get to know you?" Raven shook her head.

"You don't understand, Robin."

"Then help me understand, Raven! You may be empathic, but you have no idea what this is doing to the team!" Raven glanced over at the doorway. The green splotch was still there, though barely listening, she guessed. She felt nothing from it, she realized now. From Beast Boy. Raven frowned. He was concealing his emotions from her…maybe even from himself.

"Robin…I think I do."

"Thinking isn't the same as knowing, Raven. The others are worried, with good reason; it's been nearly a year since the team was formed. Can't you get along with everyone by now?" Raven took a long sip of her tea, stalling for time. How to word it? She wasn't known for being selfish…but that was the reason, really. She was selfish, and jealous to boot.

"It's just…" Raven took a glance at Beast Boy. With a wave of her hand, Raven concealed herself—and Robin—from Beast Boy's sight by covering them in a cloak of darkness. Though it was still the gray-ish time before dawn, she knew Beast Boy could give himself the eyes of an owl, and such difficulties would disappear. A spike of emotion drove itself in her mind. Unusual as the feeling was, it was one she recognized. Jealousy.

"Okay, I know it'll sound stupid, but…I'm jealous." Without waiting for Robin to speak, Raven continued. "It just doesn't seem fair, that I have to constantly meditate and I still can't entirely control my powers, while he can just use his powers without really thinking, and with no consequences. It just doesn't seem fair that I had the life I had before the Titans here on Earth, and on Azarath before that, while he obviously had some great life before the Titans, and has no worries or anything, and I've got my future to worry about, and—" Raven cut herself off, realizing she had gone too far. No one was supposed to know about that, and she had been cruel in her assumptions about her fellow teammate. She sighed. Saying all that had really gotten something off her chest, and she felt much more centered emotionally, odd though the way to get there had been.

Robin was silent for a long time. Raven took that time to watch the sky fade lighter and lighter as the sun approached the horizon.

"You really think that? That Beast Boy has everything better than you?"

"…I never said it was Beast Boy."

"You didn't have to." Raven sighed; she was caught.

"Honestly, yes." Robin's voice lowered.

"You have no idea, do you?" Raven's confused face seemed to answer the question sufficiently for Robin; he continued. "Beast Boy had a better life than you? Do you know enough about my life to say how bad it was, Raven?" Raven nodded. The Boy Wonder's story was legendary; his parents' "accidental" deaths and his apprenticeship to Batman gained and lost, all before she had called on him and the others to form the Titans. "Would you say your life was worse than mine?"

"If so, not by too much." Yet, Raven added in her mind. Though it wasn't the most enjoyable life, she had to admit Azarath had given her a home of a sorts, and she had only had a few miserable days after contacting the Justice League before contacting the Titans.

"Beast Boy always cracks jokes; you hate that, don't you?" Raven wrinkled her nose; those one-liners of the changeling were annoying. "He doesn't do that because he had a great life, Raven. If he did, you'd be able to see it, wouldn't you; he wouldn't have anything to hide. Beast Boy hides behind those jokes. He had a good life, once, but he lost that. He had good parents and lost them too. He blames himself…almost as much as I do myself, I think." Robin turned to face the ocean, which was beginning to sparkle with the reflected light of the sun.

Raven's eyes widened slightly; Beast Boy's past was like Robin's? She lowered the shield without thinking, turning to look at Beast Boy. He had moved from the safety of the stairway and closer to Raven and Robin. Almost as though he knew exactly what they had been talking about, Raven could suddenly feel sadness she knew she got from Beast Boy, and a thought, which was unusual for her empathy: It's my fault they're gone.

"…he does." Robin glanced sideways at Raven. She was sitting beside him, facing the sunrise as well; her eyes shone as the sun peeked over the horizon. The sun continued to rise, eventually leaving only the bottom below the horizon, though the water at the horizon glowed as if the sun itself. The three Titans just sat there, enjoying the warmth.

"You did spill something, Raven. It's been cleaned up…I think you know who did." Robin smiled and left Raven's side to head inside.

Maybe she can get along with him after all…

Beast Boy remained where he was, not sure what to think. Raven remained silent, watching the sun rise completely above the horizon. Without glancing to check if he was there, she spoke.

"It isn't your fault."

With that, Raven sunk into the shadows the sun now cast, leaving Beast Boy alone on the roof. He changed back to his human form and sat cross-legged for a moment. The sun shone down on the green teen as he sat, wondering if maybe he was wrong about the darker teen that had just left his presence.

"Maybe it is."

---

Pokemon Fan: Thank you. I agree; Raven has changed the most. She's almost like Tao Ren of Shaman King, I think; reclusive, dark past, no friends at first, but then he finds friends in others similar to him. In this one, I attempted to show more of those doubts you mentioned. I should have remembered them before, though. Sorry I didn't, but I hope this one made up for it.

This one mainly focused on that first doubt on that list of yours: their relationship. Robin, who actually is pretty similar to the both of them, felt like a good mediator to me; I'd appreciate it if you gave me your opinion on that. Anyway, this one sort of "symbolically" shows their relationship, then shows Beast Boy wondering, at the end, if it is his fault the two of them don't get along. A bit of that second topic you pointed out, too, as Raven tries a bit to get Beast Boy to like her. I thought that seemed a bit forced to me looking at it later, but you decide. And of course, I added in some small references to that last topic.

Thanks for the review.

The Last: Actually, I was going to use it as the start for a RobStar and BBRae story, with said guys coming out as the sun set, but I decided against it. I'm glad you think I got most of their personality in there. Quite frankly, I thought I had screwed it up myself. I thought it sounded nice to connect the end to the beginning like that, and I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Thanks for reviewing!

---

I appreciate all reviews: critical, update calling for, well wishing, etc. I would especially appreciate one from you! Thanks for reading, in any case!

gladdecease