Hello all, Sora here! I'm back as promised with the first installment of my Christmas chapters! Christmas day will bring you the second piece. I'd like to take a moment to say I did proof read this I'm pretty sure I caught all of the mistakes. Let me know if I didn't and I'll do my best to fix it. I'll appreciate anything you say.Other than that, there isn't much for me to say this time around except to say thank you to those who have been with me from the very beginning and have been so kind and supportive. I wish Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you.

This is, of course, a Rob/Rae story and I enjoy it that way. I will accept everything except pairing flames. Thank you!

Anyway, with nothing else to say, let's get on with the story! Here we go!

It had been nearly three weeks since the Thanksgiving fiasco. Thankfully, the culinary nightmare created by Starfire and Raven had all but passed from mind. The only thing keeping its memory lingering were Robin's ongoing cooking lessons. However, Robin was beginning to notice that Raven was skipping more and more of her lessons. Actually, she had been unusually withdrawn from everyone. She was spending more time locked up in a most unlikely room: the tower arboretum. Though Raven had assured him multiple times that she was okay and that she was up to nothing major, Robin still wondered what she was up to.

Raven, for her part, wasn't telling anyone. It had become her custom to rise slightly before dawn cracked and creep up to the arboretum. There, she locked herself in for hours to do research. She would only come out for meals.

On one such morning, Raven paused in her reading and looked around. The arboretum was becoming rather cluttered, she noticed. The room had once been full of pretty, exotic and sometimes dangerous plants and nothing more. Now, wherever there weren't flowers and bushes, there were piles of books, papers, and various test subjects. Raven was fairly glad that the Titans didn't know what she was up to. What they saw would only create more questions than answers.

Raven supposed she felt slightly guilty about keeping her secret. Despite what she had told Robin, she was undertaking something slightly monumental. On the other hand, the end result would be their Christmas present of a lifetime, so she felt justified in lying to them about this. Raven only hoped they would feel the same way. Azar knew, she was having some mixed emotions about her project.

She sighed and tried to shake the thoughts from her mind. They weren't getting her anywhere. "Worse comes to worst, everyone will get furious at me and…I'll get kicked out of the tower." Raven buried her head in her hand and groaned. "Not helping."

With another shake of her head, Raven placed her worries aside for the moment and refocused on her main tasks: finding or creating the necessary spell and keeping Cyborg and Beastboy, the resident crime-fighters-come-Christmas-snoops of the tower from finding out. She had come to find that they were nothing if not persistent when it came to finding out what she was doing. They made Robin's obsessions seem mild.

Normally, it would have been only a minor annoyance, rectified by a dark protective aura. However, in her current condition, just over four months pregnant and very distracted by constant cravings for strange foods, taking care of the two nuisances was more than slightly difficult. Raven sighed in mild aggravation. If they kept at it, she was going to need more string.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the recesses of the tower, Beastboy and Cyborg were holding a conference of some sort.

"Okay," Cyborg said slowly, laying a stack of papers in the middle of the table, "let's review the facts."

"Right," Beastboy replied, looking oddly attentive. He had yet to realize that his fellow Titans had been slipping him ADHD medication through his tofu. The strange food finally had a use!

"Raven has been locked in the arboretum for several days now," Cyborg listed.

"Yup," Beastboy confirmed. "Dude, I've barely seen anything of her recently."

"That's probably for the best," Cyborg muttered. "It's what's keeping you alive."

"Dude!" Beastboy protested.

"Moving on," Cyborg said. "So, we can safely say Raven does not want us to know what she's doing."

"No kidding."

"But she's definitely up to something."

"I'd bet my Mega Monkeys Trilogy on it," Beastboy answered firmly.

"However," Cyborg continued, "we're pretty sure it has nothing to do with your theory on summoning evil monkey love goddesses to enslave mankind, but it's still something major."

"I dunno, dude, I still think she wants to rule the world through the monkey love goddesses." Cyborg shook his head in resignation. Some things were never going to change. He made a note to increase Beastboy's prescription and looked back down at his notes.

"Finally, we know that Raven cannot use her magic at this time."

"Right, for the safety of my future godson or daughter."

"Excuse me, green boy? What makes you think she'll choose you?"

"Because I can make her laugh," Beastboy answered simply. Cyborg gave him an incredulous look.

"On what planet? 'Cause I know you're not talking about this one!"

"Oh yeah, and why would she name you godfather?" Beastboy challenged.

"Because we have a very close sibling-like relationship," Cyborg replied.

"You obsess to her about cars!" Beastboy exclaimed

"She helps me fix my baby," Cyborg defended.

"So, you're going to drag her kid under the car with you now?"

"Better than dropping it on its head, and that's probably what you would do!"

"Well, you'd just scare the kid! What with your metal face and all!"

"What! Say that again you little green whelp. You're ass is mine!"

The two spent roughly ten minutes fighting it out and chasing each other about. Finally Cyborg cooled down. He pinched the bridge of his nose and snagged Beastboy by his collar. "Wait, wait. We're getting off track here. This is what Raven would want us to do."

"Dude! You're right! Is she controlling us with her strange mystical loopy mind powers?" he asked. Cyborg rolled his eyes.

"Somehow, I think she has bigger things on her mind."

"Oh yeah!" Beastboy cried, brightening. "We have to figure out what Raven is doing!"

"Yes," Cyborg said slowly, "now you're catching on. So, to continue. We were discussing the fact that Raven is currently not allowed to use her magic."

"She still gets cranky at Robin about that sometimes," Beastboy added helpfully. "Remember when he snapped at her and she pitched him out the window, let him freefall and snatched him up just before the rocks? Dude that was soooo awesome! She was like 'Rrrgh' and he was like 'ahhhhhhhh!' and then they made up and it was…eeew."

"Yes. I remember. That was a stressful day." Suddenly Beastboy's eyes came into focus.

"You know, I just remembered. Raven's inability to use magic hasn't exactly stopped her from, well, stopping us."

"Exactly!" Cyborg said. "We're dealing with a being that is superior in intelligence to you."

"Right, superior to us- hey, wait a minute! Dude! Not cool!"

"Either way," Cyborg hurried on, before they fought again, "we have been stopped time and time again."

"I know. A frontal attack didn't work. We got caught in all that string. Raven didn't let us down until we sang a "pee song."" Beastboy shuddered. "That was not cool."

"An air attack didn't work either."

"Hey, who would have known she slathered the window with glorkaberries and would sic Silkie on us?" This time it was Cyborg who cringed.

"Man, I saw parts of that insect I never wanted to see!"

"Tunneling under didn't work either. I wish you had read those blueprints better. I mean, you created the place. You should know it like the back of your hand, dude." Cyborg became defensive.

"Hey! There was only a small percentage of a chance that Starfire would be in that bathroom at that moment!"

"Dude, that doesn't matter! She was in there and she got mad! Remember, we were blasted through at least three walls. I haven't felt that kind of pain since the mall fiasco!"

"Well, I say we try a whole new approach this time," Cyborg said.

"I'm all ears," Beastboy answered eagerly.

"We're going to go and knock on the door." Cyborg told him. Beastboy sagged noticeably.

"Dude, that's it? I could have thought that!"

"There's more. Just be patient," Cyborg snapped. "You're going to go knock on the door and distract her while I try and look past her and see what she's doing."

"That's pretty pathetic…even for us." Beastboy said flatly. Cyborg could feel sweat trickle down his human skin.

"Maybe, but it's what we have until I can think of something better. Let's go." The two set off toward the arboretum.

By early evening, Raven had finally found a spell she thought would be suitable. She had experimented what felt like hundreds of times, but all of the tests had been successful. A nearly grim look had settled onto her face. She wasn't unhappy, just nervous. It was nearly time to go.

At that moment, there was a rap on the door. Raven looked up from her particularly large, leather bound book. The knock was distinctly metal on metal. She sighed. Beastboy and Cyborg were at it again. Raven shuffled some her items toward a tree and out of sight before rising to answer them. Perhaps it was a good time to send them to another dimension, at least until Christmas morning. Her thoughts distracted her from finishing her cleanup.

Beastboy and Cyborg waited excitedly on the other side of the door. Despite how pathetic the plan was, they were willing to give it all to make it work. The door cracked open and briefly they saw Raven's pale face and purple eyes. It didn't last long though. Suddenly, a large flock of angry birds flew out of the room and began attacking them. The two men began screaming and they raced down the hall. The birds pursued them.

Raven stood in their wake, shock lingering in her widened eyes. She truly hadn't expected that to happen. However, she supposed she would be asking for it. When she had begun experimenting, Raven hadn't thought far enough ahead so she would know what to do with the birds she had created. Then Raven snorted. It had worked out okay though, they were asking for it. She closed the door and returned to her solitude.

Eventually, Cyborg and Beastboy escaped the birds by ducking into the evidence room. They stared at each other and panted for a few long moments. When they regained their breath, they each let out their own thoughts on what had just transpired.

"What the…"

"Dude!"

"I think," Cyborg said, "we can add something new to our facts. Whatever she's doing involved lots and lots of angry birds. Do we still want to know what she's doing?" Anyone who knew them knew that answer as quickly as the question was asked.

Finally, night fell on Jump City and everyone began to settle down. Starfire had gone to bed early. She had been feeling rather tired. Cyborg and Beastboy had taken up their gamestation, feeling one failed attempt to scope out Raven was enough for one day. Robin and Raven were curled up on the couch watching a Christmas special that was playing. There just wasn't much else to do. Robin noticed that Raven was acting restless. "Rae, you okay?" he asked quietly.

"Hmm? Oh, I'm fine. I just have a lot on my mind."

"Anything you'd like to share? You know I'm always there for you." Raven hugged him briefly but tightly.

"Thanks, Robin, but not right now. I think I have to work this out a little bit more before I'm ready to tell anyone."

"I'm here whenever you're ready. I'm going to head in to train for awhile. You know where to find me." He kissed her forehead and took his leave.

Raven glanced around the room. With Robin and Starfire elsewhere and Cyborg and Beastboy completely distracted, it was the perfect time to leave. She discreetly slid on her cloak and slid toward the elevator.

December in Jump City had always been mild, and that night was no exception. Raven was glad for it. She had quite a way to walk. She would have just transported herself there, but she needed to save up the energy. Her undertaking would be exhausting. Raven felt around her cloak pocket for the motorboat keys she had swiped off Cyborg to get her across the bay. She took another deep breath and set out.

It had taken nearly two hours but she had made it. Terra's cave, as they affectionately called the opening to their friend's gravesite, looked much the same as it always had. Someone, most likely Beastboy, had taken the time to set up a small Christmas tree by the entrance and decorate it. Some Christmas boughs hung around the opening as well. It looked both festive and depressing. "I am insane," Raven muttered as she entered.

As she walked down the long entranceway, Raven could feel her resolve faltering. She wasn't sure if she could do it, or even if she wanted to do it. After everything that had happened, was she willing to forgive all of it?

Her uncertainty dissolved as the geomancer came into view. Beastboy had not neglected to see to the interior. There were some Christmas lights hung up, and a gift and some flowers lay at Terra's feet. Her plaque, calling her a Teen Titan and a true friend, was freshly polished. It had been well taken care of.

"All right," she said to the statue, "you win. You and Beastboy win, I guess." Raven sat down in her lotus position and opened the book she brought with her. "I hope this works…otherwise you're a bird for the rest of your days. I wonder if Beastboy would mind keeping you in a cage." It was a morbidly amusing thought and Raven sought to strike it from her mind. It wasn't the time for it.

She began her chant. Energy began flowing around her. "Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos…" the rest of the spell was difficult and new to her, but as far as she could tell, it was working. Terra was beginning to glow as well.

Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light and Raven felt completely drained. For a moment, she couldn't see anything, but when her vision cleared, she found Terra slumped at her feet, gasping for air. Raven slumped down next to her with a wide-eyed look. Terra was well and truly alive.

Well, that's chapter eleven for you. You probably noticed I spent more time on Cyborg and Beastboy. I felt I had been neglecting them a little. Not to mention, I needed to practice with their characters. I rather dislike out of character stories. I suppose that's a little hypocritical because I'm not exactly great at it myself, but I'm trying so bear with me. Anyway, I'd better wrap up here. I've got cinnamon rolls to make. However, before I go, there are some people I would like to thank by name:

Chica De Los Ojos Café

Calda Pesca492

Enkaiame Katana

Cherished18

Tecna

MyChemSweetie

Cherry Jade

Most of you have been with me from the start and encouraging me all of the way. Words cannot honestly describe how thankful I am for you. I wish you fondest Holiday joys and wishes. Until next time! Sora out.