All right, I'm only (well, not really only) finishing this story because I hate to leave things unfinished. Again, if you want a disclaimer, look at my home page. This is not the last chapter, though. Though I might speed this story up to make it less chapters than I originally planned.

Angel Caida: That may be your job, but you know it's true. LOL.

Damn, doesn't anyone else review? Seriously...

0 0 0

"Raven? Raven?"

She woke with a start. Looking around, she realized that she was still in her room, sitting on the floor, legs crossed. Had it worked? She didn't feel any different. She felt hot, and was sweating all over, breathing a little heavy. Shadow was sweating, too, though he was breathing smoothly.

"How many days have we been doing this?" she asked him. She was hungry.

He looked at her. "Two days."

"Did...did it work?" She was feeling a little anxious.

Shadow just looked at her. And she looked at him. He had the most beautiful blue eyes she had ever seen. She noticed he was looking at her oddly, with hope in his eyes. Almost regret.

And he kissed her. The moment she realized what he had done, she couldn't move. Her immediate impulse was to push him off, slap him at least. But she stayed. She...enjoyed it, she realized. Suddenly, she didn't care; she kissed him back, enjoying his warmth as she tasted his sweet lips. That moment seemed to last forever. To them, they were the only ones living, nobody else mattered, and they were in heaven.

"I guess it worked," Shadow said, looking around the room when they were done. Everything was the same.

Raven didn't care. She wanted to sleep, lying in his arms. She felt so comfortable, she wanted for it to last forever. She was so happy she could feel now, she could express everything, anything, and she wouldn't have to worry about it. She just hugged him tighter and fell asleep.

0 0 0

Even now, five months later, the rest of the titans didn't know about Raven and Shadow, as they decided it was best for now. They would tell them when they were ready. Everybody but Shadow had apparently forgotten about Shadow not being a Titan. Not officially, anyway. He went to missions with them. He ate with them. He even slept on the couch, at least until Raven noticed and made him sleep in her room.

He had earned most of the Titan's trust, all except Beast Boy's. Beast Boy just didn't seem want to trust him, or like him for that matter. He tried everything to make Shadow angry, and ended up being the one who was irate because of Shadow's nonchalant attitude. Until he took it a little to far...

"Dude, Shadow, I got a joke for ya'," Beast Boy stated, seemingly happy with himself for obviously making up a joke to insult him.

"Shoot," he said. Most of Beast Boy's insults didn't bother him, they were that pitiful

"Okay, what do you get when you cross a cow and a girl from Azarath?"

Shadow just looked. He wouldn't, not again.

"Your mom!" he yelled, as he died laughing on the floor. Shadow stayed silent. Those were the only jokes that bothered him, and he never said anything after those, for fear he would say anything worse to Beast Boy than he usually did. His stomach twisted with pain as he thought about his mother. He never knew her...

"Yo, what's with the silence, Shadow? Run out of comebacks for my jokes?" came Beast Boy's sneer.

"Beast Boy, you may not like me, but I still respect you. I'm going to have to ask you to stop telling 'your mom' jokes. They're really not funny, and they're disrespectful. Please stop."

"Why? Just because your dad had you in a barn when your mom was eight years old..."

That was as far as he got. He suddenly felt a foot kick behind his leg, causing him to fall. But before he even got halfway to the ground, a hand grabbed his neck, and Beast Boy found himself up against the wall. Looking at Shadow with fear for his life, and for his air, he was kicking his short legs in panic. Shadow drew back his free hand and punched. Right into the wall beside Beast Boy's head. Not as hard as he could, but hard enough to scare him and put a hole as big as Cyborg's head in the wall. Beast Boy could see the fire burn in his eyes, as he dropped him to the ground, gasping for breath as though he had just run miles, his chest pounding painfully as it demanded air. He thought he was going blind as the darkness started to surround him because he couldn't get the air fast enough...

Shadow turned and left. He wasn't going to take it anymore. His mom didn't deserve that.

Raven saw him go and followed him out the door. She had never seen him actually act when he was upset. He always kept it inside, making it hard to tell whether or not he was actually mad. She had gotten a little better at being able to tell, but this time...he had snapped.

He was heading for the roof she knew. That was his favorite place to relax and be alone. Mostly alone with her, but that wasn't the point. The point was...she wanted to know his past. He always seemed so hurt when it came up. She had to know.

"Shadow," she stated, walking slowly up behind him to site down beside him and lean up against him, enjoying the warmth he always gave off. "What happened? I know you don't like to talk about it, but the more you bottle it up, well...it's not good for you. Please, Shadow. Please, let me know. I'll share the pain if it helps. Please," she pleaded with him.

He looked at her. For the first time, she saw tears swimming in his eyes. "I can't tell you. I wouldn't get through the story. But I can show you. But you have to promise me...please, promise me that you'll understand. Understand that I'm not like that anymore, that if I could erase my past, I would. Please..." he choked on his words at the end, burying his face in Raven's shoulder.

She had never seen him cry before, but it was comforting to know he could. That he was human enough to. That he trusted her enough to show her this side of him. "Shh, Shadow, it's okay. I believe you, and I love you. Nothing you have ever done could take that away. It's okay," were her comforting words. Shadow believed her. He trusted her, more than anyone he had in his entire life.

"Okay." And with that, she went with him to her room, where they would have some privacy. She was glad.

0 0 0

In the living room, a certain green boy woke up where he passed out. Anger as strong as Hades came up as the recent events replayed in his mind. He would love to see Shadow suffer, and he would make it happen. He would find some way...

0 0 0

Okay, I suck at writing mushy stuff. And just because Shadow is sleeping with Raven, doesn't mean he's sleeping with her. Nasty minds you have. Shame on you. Anyway, the next chapter will be Shadow's past. Yeah, have fun.