A/N: I do not own the Teen Titans. (Though I wouldn't mind owning Terra either.)
Chapter IV.
Beast boy watched the sunset. He always liked the sunset. He watched as the sun set on his dying hope of ever finding love. He'd been up here for most of the day. Nobody had bothered him. He was half glad and half depressed, on the one hand he really did want to be alone, but on the other hand it would have been nice to have someone to yell at about disturbing him.
The door to the roof opened once again and Beast boy smelled Raven coming. He didn't move. He just kept looking out to sea.
"Hi Raven." Beast boy said sadly.
"I just wanted to tell you I was sorry about how things worked out." Raven said as she sat down next to Beast boy.
"It's OK, I guess I just let myself get my hopes up. I should've known better." Beast boy said glumly. "Look. Raven, I…"
Beast boy's words died on his lips as he turned to look at Raven. Her eyes were wide and her power was coursing around her. She looked at Beast boy with stark terror. "Beast boy, I can feel…"
Beast boy got up and grabbed Raven as she nearly fell from the roof. He pulled her up and she suddenly grabbed him. Raven pulled herself into his chest and clung to him as if her life depended on it.
Beast boy tried to make sense of what was going on. Raven was acting is if he were all over her writhing against him like she was in the throes of passion.
"Beast boy. I… Alarm… Sound… Alarm…" Raven was saying amidst ragged breaths.
Beast boy didn't have to be told twice as an air-handling unit exploded next to him. Other machines on top of the tower were beginning to glow black as well. Beast boy raised his communicator, but it exploded in his hand. Wincing at the pain he looked around while still clutching Raven to his chest.
Finally, Beast boy spotted the alarm box for the roof. He couldn't reach it so he grabbed Raven's arm and pointed it. "Raven, FIRE!"
Raven's energy lanced out and destroyed the box causing sparks to fly and the failsafe circuit to be broken. Warning whistles started going off all over the tower. Ever Titan in the tower now thought someone was attacking the roof.
Raven's convulsions seemed to subside immediately and she sagged against Beast boy breathing heavily. "Raven, what happened?" Beast boy said in a panic.
"I'll tell you in a minute." Raven said catching her breath.
The other Titans came busting out onto the roof ready to fight. Beast boy noticed that Star and Robin were already breathing heavily for some reason, and Robin's clothes looked like he'd already been in a fight.
Raven turned on him and Starfire as soon as they got there. "What were you two doing?" Raven asked nearly yelling.
Starfire immediately looked like a kid caught in the candy jar. "I am sorry friend Raven. I was trying to give Robin the 'Mark of Intention'. You can give him one too if you wish."
Raven looked like she was ready to faint. "I think I've found another 'issue' we're going to have to resolve."
"What happened?" Robin asked perplexed as he tried to cover up the bruise on his neck.
"I felt you." Raven said still shaking. "I felt your mind through the link we share. Apparently if you're with Starfire, I can feel it."
Beast boy whistled as the implications began to settle in on him. "Dude! You mean I was holding you while you were…"
"Indisposed!" Raven finished for him vehemently. "This may sound unfair Starfire, but you're going to have to warn me before you go to do anything like that with the boy wonder. My emotions are powerful enough as it is, but when you add his on top of everything it becomes even MORE dangerous."
Cyborg was apparently filing all this under the 'Too Much Information' category and had set about resetting the alarms and checking the damage Raven had accidentally caused.
Beast boy watched the three trying to come to some sort of arrangement, when it felt as if lightning struck his brain. I'm sorry, Beast Boy. Her powers are just too strong. …but when you add his on top of everything…
"Raven, you're a genius!" Beast boy said emphatically.
"What are you going on about?" Raven asked testily.
"Your powers weren't enough to overcome Terra's power," Beast boy said smiling, "but if we super-charged them…"
Beast boy was staring at Starfire and Robin. He then turned to Raven who was shaking her head emphatically.
"Do you have any idea what you're asking Beast boy? That much power might kill Terra instead of bringing her back!" Raven insisted.
"Raven we've tried everything else!" Beast boy pleaded. "There's no way that anyone is ever going to be able to give it a better shot than we've already tried and we failed. We can't just leave her that way for all eternity."
"I may have something that might help as well." Cyborg said rejoining the conversation. "When Merlin was here he said he was looking at other possible ways of making Raven loose control of her powers. He recommended that it might help her channel more power if her barriers were totally removed. He asked me if there were any way to achieve it, and I think I might have found one."
"What was it?" Robin asked worriedly.
"Sodium Pentathol. Truth Serum. If we give Raven a small injection it might loosen her hold on her powers. She could theoretically channel more of it that way according to Merlin." Cyborg said before finally turning to Raven. "It's your call though, you know your powers better than any of us do."
Raven shook her head and looked at the other two members of her rather twisted little love triangle. "What do you think Robin?"
Beast boy looked at Robin. He never even wavered. "Let's do it."
The team went back down to the cave that very night. They still had most of Cyborg's equipment hooked up, so all that remained was for everyone to try again. This time though Robin was going to stay down there with Starfire.
Beast boy was looking more and more anxious. Robin couldn't really blame him though. Terra had meant a lot to him. Robin tried to think what lengths he would go to save Raven or Starfire. He resolved to try to tell them both how much they meant to him more often.
Cyborg turned on his instruments and watched the gauges. He then took out the small case that he had brought from the medical lab. "All right Raven," Cyborg said as he swabbed Raven's arm. "This will take a few minutes to take effect so you need to have your powers focused before then. Once it starts to kick in we'll, try to through as much power into you as we can."
Raven nodded and turned towards her ritual. Beast boy walked over to her and hugged her. "Thanks Raven. I owe you."
"No you don't Beast boy." Raven said grudgingly. "We're all family here. You'd do the same for me."
Robin stepped next to Starfire and waited for Raven to begin. Raven began to chant as she held her palms out before her. The power immediately rushed to her fingers. The wind began to howl through the cave as she concentrated all of her power on the spell. Robin looked to Cyborg who was looking at the monitors closely. "The drug should start kicking in any moment now."
Robin felt Raven's mind the moment the drug kicked in. He began to feel the power course through him as well. He could feel Ravens turmoil. All the feelings that Raven had were now coursing through him. "This is all I have!" Raven shouted as the darkness surrounded Terra's statue.
Robin looked to Starfire and she took him into her arms. He had to admit that it was weird being taken up into her arms like he was the shy young girl, but he didn't resist letting his emotions go and letting himself love and be loved by Starfire. Robin looked up and kissed Starfire.
Robin could feel his emotions building. Still part of him held back. He didn't know what else to do until he felt a small prick in his neck. Robin broke the kiss to look back at Cyborg holding a second syringe. "You never know man."
Robin went back to kissing Starfire as he felt the drug enter his system and he surrendered to it. Now Raven was nearly screaming from the exertion. Cyborg was watching the monitors and finally looked up. "Something's starting to happen!"
Robin looked at the statue of Terra as it began to twist and writhe as if she wanted to be released. She was still surrounded in darkness and her features still looked like stone, but she was moving. She moved her hands to her side and raised her head as if screaming.
"It's still not enough!" Raven cried. "I'm loosing her!"
In a moment of desperation, Robin knew what he had to do. He only hoped it worked. Gently pushing away from Starfire, Robin stepped away and walked over to Raven. What he was doing could get him killed, but he had risked as much for his team before.
Robin gingerly reached around Raven and unclasped her cloak letting it fall to the floor. He then stepped up to Raven and wove his arms around her waist much as he had done during her training exercise with Merlin. Robin didn't dare look at the statue. Right now, all he wanted to see was her.
"Robin! What are you doing?" Raven said in shock.
"I'm loving you." Robin whispered into her ear. "Let me help you Raven."
Robin slowly slid his arms out along Raven's until his gloved palms rested on the backs of her hands. Then he slowly wove his fingers over hers until his fingers were intertwined with hers. He then began to rub against her neck with his face gently kissing her most sensitive areas.
"I think it's time I gave YOU the 'Mark of Intention'." Robin said as he began to kiss at Raven's neck passionately.
The scream that rocked the cavern startled everyone. Robin looked up to see Raven screaming as the power ripped through her out of control. He felt his own spirit responding as well tearing out of him to fill the empty void within her. For one blessed moment he was one with Raven, and it was not her power transforming Terra, but their power.
The second scream was from Terra as Raven watched the power tearing into her stony form. She screamed as the stone began to recede and her body began to regain its softer shape.
Beast boy sprang to her in an instant. He grabbed Terra ignoring the power coursing over her that was in all likelihood hurting him too. "Come on Terra. You've got to let go of your power!" Beast boy cried as he cradled the girl whose eyes could be seen glowing yellow amidst the darkness of his and Raven's magic.
"I CAN'T BEAST BOY!" Terra screamed in agony.
"Then take me with you." Beast boy said finally. "I don't want to stay in this world if you're not here with me."
Terra looked into Beast boy's eyes and with a final flash everything went silent.
Raven collapsed backward into Robin. Robin tried to stand but found that his muscles had deserted him as well. He collapsed backwards with Raven on top of him. Raven was quietly sobbing from the power that had ripped through her body. Her emotions were running out of control. He could tell, and so were his. The only thing keeping them alive was the fact she was probably going to be burned out for a few days.
Starfire was laughing with glee. "You have done it friend Raven and Robin! Friend Terra is restored."
Robin looked up to see Beast Boy cradling Terra. She looked up as if shocked to see Beast boy as he rocked her back and forth in his arms. Then she passed out.