Chapter 5

Raven woke up the next day in a good mood. Sweet dreams floated around in her head, though she couldn't quite remember them.

She quickly grabbed fresh clothes and scurried into the bathroom for a shower. She turned on the water, testing the temperature with her hand, and stepped in. As she washed herself, she hummed songs from the Nutcracker. She took her time getting ready and was the last one to come into the main room.

"Friend Raven, have you got my Christmas present yet?" Starfire asked as she walked into the room. Raven raised an eyebrow, but nodded.

"Glorious! Then you must accompany me in the shopping! I have already purchased your gift as well, but I still have more to buy," the alien explained, floating over the Raven.

Raven thought over the gifts she had bought so far. She still needed to find gifts for Cyborg and Beast Boy. She nodded and sat down at the table.

"Beast Boy, do you want to go with me?" asked Robin. Beast Boy looked up from his spot on the couch and nodded.

"Sure," he replied, looking back at the TV screen to make sure Cyborg didn't pass him on the racing game they were playing.

"I'll give y'all a ride," Cyborg offered, easily passing Beast Boy.

Everyone ate their breakfast and got ready to leave. Once everyone had finished zipping their jackets and putting shoes on their feet, Cyborg gave them a ride to Jump City's biggest mall.

They thanked Cyborg for the ride and the four Titans went into the mall. Raven looked around the busy mall. One of the reasons Raven preferred to shop downtown was because it was outside. Walking through mobs of people was slightly more enjoyable when you had fresh air, instead of the stuffy, trapped oxygen in the mall.

"Let's meet in the food court at twelve thirty," Robin suggested, looking at his watch. It was just past eleven. Everyone nodded, and they parted ways. Beast Boy and Robin walked towards the escalators and Starfire and Raven began walking through the main level of the mall.

The two girls searched store after store, searching for gifts. Starfire only had Raven's gift bought already, so she looked through the stores for presents for each of their male friends. She found gifts for Beast Boy and Cyborg within ten minutes of their shopping endeavor, and spent the rest of the time searching for Robin. Raven had less luck, being unable to find gifts for either Beast Boy or Cyborg.

"I do not know what I should get Robin," Starfire confided as they looked through a bookstore. Raven shrugged.

"I'm sure he'll love whatever you get him," she told Star truthfully, walking down the aisles of books.

"What did you get him?" she asked curiously.

"I, uh… can't remember," Raven replied. Starfire looked at her strangely; perhaps noticing the mischievous glint Raven knew was shining in her eyes, but just shook her head and smiled.

Raven picked up a book. She read the back and smiled. It was about a robot who wanted to be a man, but found out he could be just as important and loved as a robot. Raven pictured Cyborg in her head and decided that it would be a perfect gift for him. She paid for the book, then followed Starfire through the nearly empty bookstore. After a while, Starfire picked up a book.

"The Dummy's Guide to Seeing What Is Right In Front Of Your Eyes," she read out loud. Raven snorted. "Do you think Robin will 'take the hint'?" Starfire asked. She had told Raven of her feelings for Robin a long time ago.

Raven smirked, "Yeah, you should get it."

Starfire giggled and paid for the book. The two girls left the store smiling. Raven glanced down at her watch.

"It's almost twelve-thirty," she informed Starfire. "We should probably go to the food court."

The two girls went up the two stories to the food court. They stood in front of a large fountain and searched the crowd of hungry shoppers.

"Raven! Star!"

The girls turned to see Beast Boy and Robin sitting at a table, waving at them. They waved back to show they saw them and quickly bought their lunches. Walking over to the table, they sat down across from the guys.

Beast Boy was happily munching on a veggie sub and sipping soda, while Robin was expertly eating sushi with wooden chopsticks.

"How much of the shopping have you completed?" asked Starfire, munching on mustard drenched fries.

"We're almost done," Robin replied. Next to him, Beast Boy nodded.

"I am done my shopping," Starfire held up her bags. She had only bought Raven's gift the other day, but had found the others quickly. "But Raven still must complete hers."

A familiar ringing sounded and, instinctively, everyone reached for their communicators. Robin reached his first. He turned it on and was greeted by Cyborg's face.

"Trouble?" he asked in his 'leader' voice.

"Yeah, there's big trouble. You never told me when you wanted to be picked up," Cyborg joked.

"Cyborg, the communicators are supposed to be used for crime-fighting purposes," Robin said sternly.

"Don't get your spandex in a knot, even criminals celebrate the season," Cyborg smirked. "Besides, how else was I supposed to get a hold of you?"

Robin nodded and smiled.

"I guess you're right," he relented. Raven was amazed at how many people changed for the better around Christmas; Robin wasn't even being strict about hero work. "How long do you think you're going to need?" he asked the other Titans.

"I only need to find one more gift," Raven replied.

"About an hour or two," Beast Boy estimated, thinking over the gifts that he and Robin still had to get.

Robin looked down at his watch.

"Does two o'clock sound good to everyone?" he asked. They all nodded.

"Good. I'll meet y'all at Santa's workshop," Cyborg told them. The communicator went blank and they finished their lunches before splitting up to shop once more.

Starfire and Raven searched several stores, but were unsuccessful in finding Beast Boy's present. They looked in every electronics store, comic shop, and clothing store in the mall, but nothing was right.

Raven saw plenty of things she would have bought him a few days ago, but none of them seemed right. She realized now that none of them were… personal enough. They were all based on a basic knowledge of Beast Boy, things that any fan could have chosen for him. She wanted the gift to show how well she knew him… in a friendly way, of course.

Raven wasn't sure why it was so important to her, but she couldn't shake the feeling, and so wasn't able to find his present before two o'clock.

"Friend Raven, it is almost the hour of two, and you have still not found the gift you seek," said Starfire, looking at a clock mounted in one of the clothing stores. "Perhaps we should inform out friends that we will need more time?"

"It's fine Star, let's go. I'll get the last present some other time," Raven replied, walking out into the mall.

The girls walked quickly until they reached Santa's workshop; the meeting place.

Santa's workshop was the traditional Santa display in Jump City. A small area in the middle of the mall had been cleared of stalls and a large, elaborate display had been created. The square area was blocked off with velvet ropes and fake snow covered the ground inside. Fake Christmas trees and gifts were set up around the edges of Santa's workshop, along with wooden benches that had cardboard elves working on toys set in front, to make it look like… well, Santa's workshop.

At the far end of the workshop, a large throne-like chair had been set up with a jolly looking Santa sitting on it. 'Elves' stood across from the old man and took pictures of everyone who wanted to take a picture with Santa. A long line of children stood in front of the display, waiting for a chance to sit on Santa's lap and tell him how good they had been and what they wanted for Christmas. Near the back of the line, stood Cyborg.

Starfire and Raven spotted him easily, as he stood tall above the young children, and most of the parents. They walked up to the half-metal man.

"Why are you standing in line?" asked Raven, as another child joined the queue.

"I wanna talk to Santa," Cyborg replied, smiling.

"Awesome! Let's say hi to Santa!" a familiar voice cried over the noise from the shoppers. Raven rolled her eyes and turned to see Beast Boy walking beside Robin and begging their leader for a chance to sit on Santa's lap.

She waved them over and Beast Boy smiled widely. He and Cyborg hi-fived and stood next to each other in the line eagerly. Raven rolled her eyes as Starfire began growing excited as well. Though Raven insisted she found it immature for a bunch of teenagers to be standing in line, she moved up with her friends every time the line grew shorter.

After a few minutes, they were finally at the front of the line. Beast Boy, Cyborg and Starfire rushed forward and Robin followed close behind, smiling. Raven followed reluctantly and stood to the side.

Beast Boy jumped onto the arm of Santa's chair and excitedly began telling the jolly old elf what he wanted for Christmas. Raven strained to hear what he wanted, but the boy was speaking at such a fast rate that even Santa seemed a bit confused.

"Ho, ho, ho," the dressed-up man laughed, "I'll do my best to get you what you want, but your going to have to be a good boy."

Beast Boy nodded happily.

Starfire wasn't far behind him and was allowed a place on Santa's lap, seeing as she was fairly light and couldn't stop floating in happiness anyway. Cyborg was leaning on the back of the chair and Robin sat on the other chair arm, next to Starfire.

"Come on Rae, Santa's got another knee. You can sit there and we'll all get our picture taken!" Beast Boy exclaimed, waving the empath over. Raven looked at him blankly. After a while she walked over and stood on Beast Boy's right, on the outside fringes of the picture.

The elf that was taking the picture walked over to all of them and gave them all a cheesy smile.

"Welcome to Santa's workshop," he greeted them, even though they had already been there for a minute or two talking to Santa while the elf helper had been busy with the previous customers. He handed them each a candy cane and continued to recite his greeting. "Five dollars for each 8x5 picture. Each sheet of pictures takes five minutes to develop." By now the elf had made his way back to the camera and was adjusting it so as to fit all of them in the picture.

"Is everyone ready?" he asked.

"Just a second," replied Beast Boy. He turned and whispered something in Santa's ear and the man chuckled and nodded. "Okay, we're ready. Raven, last chance. Santa's got one extra knee for you to sit on."

"I'm fine here," she replied, letting her hands fall down to her sides.

"Suit yourself," the green boy said, flinging up his hands in mock resignation. Still, Raven was slightly worried by the mischievous glint in Beast Boy's eyes and the knowing smile on Santa's lips.

"Okay, one…" counted the elf, and everyone prepared for the picture. "Two…" Beast Boy began to lift his arm closest to Raven. "Three!" Just as the photographer said it, Beast Boy swiftly grabbed Raven's arm, pulling her over his own lap and onto Santa's left knee.

Everyone laughed, except for Raven who was glaring playfully at Beast Boy, and the picture caught that moment.

Laughing, the elf began to print the picture. All the Titans rushed over to watch the picture slowly appear, except for Raven who was still trying to regain her balance and get off the old man's lap. As Raven struggled, the man gave a shout of his deep laughter. Raven was slightly surprised when his belly shook like a bowl full of jelly. She looked up and realized that close up his beard was quite obviously real. She shook away a few strange thoughts that quickly filled her head and sat up. She began walking away and was about three steps away when she heard him say,

"Young Raven, you look just like Arella," the man chuckled fondly. Raven immediately froze in her spot.

"What did you say?" she asked suspiciously. How did he know about Arella?

"I said you look just like Arella," he repeated. "When she was your age, of course."

"How do you know my mother?" Raven asked, turning around so quickly that they were almost nose to nose. She gave the old man a glare that would frighten anyone, but he just laughed.

"Ho, ho, ho! Raven, you really should let down your tough act during Christmas," the mall Santa mocked gently.

"I'm going to repeat this once more, how do you know my mother?" Raven hissed through her teeth. The man was making her nervous; he seemed to know her so well.

"I know every child in the world. After all, I'm Santa Clause," the man replied, eyes twinkling. Raven rolled her eyes, turned and walked a few steps away.

"Spare me," she replied sardonically. "I know there's no such thing as Santa."

"Isn't there?" the man asked, smiling knowingly. Raven, slightly flustered, replied,

"Of course not! He's just a tale told to children to make them behave all year."

The man smiled.

"Well, whatever the case may be, you should really let yourself have some fun this Christmas," the man told her.

"I have been," Raven responded truthfully.

"I know," the man replied. "I just want you to remember that if you ever feel like acting on your feelings for Beast Boy."

Raven whirled around, unsure of what she wanted to say and trying to ignore the blush that burned on her face. When she turned however, she found that, to her surprise, the Santa was gone. In his place was a different man with a clearly fake beard, who appeared to be slightly thinner.

Confusion crossed Raven's features as she looked at the Santa before her. She shook her head and turned around to her friends, who were laughing and calling to her. She tried to forget what had just happened, but when she turned around again, she felt a delicious shiver of magic slip past her. She smiled. She hadn't believed in Santa since she was a young child, but suddenly… the idea didn't seem so impossible.

I just felt like adding a bit of Christmas magic. So, was it acceptable? I hope so.

Tammy Taborine