Purgatory Chapter 9: Time Flies, a teen titans fanfic

Howdy, this update came fast didn't it? I really hope you like it. If anyone's interested to know this story should be ending in about 3 or 4 chapters, if not less. ;p

Disclaimer: If I owned TT then I'd be so happy, lol, but I don't so don't sue, all I own is this idea hehe.

Purgatory

Chapter Nine: Time Flies

Deadlines:

1. A time limit, as for payment of a debt or completion of an assignment.

2. To govern by setting a time limit.

3. The time by which something must be done or completed.

It had been two weeks without another incident from Raven's body, two weeks of asking all sorts of guys that the Titan's knew, about Raven. Two weeks of walking straight into dead ends, backing out, and slamming back into one. Only one week remained for Raven's month of searching, and yet the only thing that was worth knowing was that her friends really cared about her, but no one loved her intimately.

Raven sat comfortably in what she now called her thinking spot, right in front of the living room window that showed the beautiful horizon of Jump City. She could hear the clock ticking and knew that it had to be past midnight. Everyone would be, of course, asleep, but Raven herself couldn't get a wink of sleep, at least not like as she was. So naturally, Raven would go over the day's events, or lack there of. It had took them less than a week to figure out that a lot of people were either intimidated by Raven or never would have thought of her in that way, prizing their life more than they did their romantic feelings. That she hadn't blamed them for. If she had not been herself and was the one asking their acquaintances of their feelings for a half demon... well, she would definitely not admit to the one loving.

Although, the past two weeks hadn't been a complete lost. She had spent ample time with her friends. It seemed as if Jump City was finally giving the Titans a break on their hero work, and the group was definitely not letting that time go to waste. Although the first week had been hell bent on searching for that someone; after six days of refusals, the others had thought it better to let things rest for a while, and most likely keep Raven out of a self pity party. It had worked. They played volleyball on top of the roof, while Raven watched and kept score. They played video games, ate pizza (Raven had sat and talked as they ate), and even went on a picnic (no where near a beach). All and all, Raven couldn't help the tiny ball of fear that seemed to clench in her stomach at the thought of leaving them for good. But it couldn't be helped, could it? Nothing had changed except for their friendship, and unfortunately, that wasn't enough to keep her here. The very thought of leaving brought her back to her recent visit with Aida.

It was in the middle of the night and Raven had been, again, staring out the window, when she heard a slight cough behind her. At first, she thought it was Beast Boy there to bug her, but then it occurred to her, it was a female cough. She turned around and was surprise to see the small girl there, but she wasn't alone; St. Patrick was with her.

Still dressed in all his glory, he smiled calmly at her and asked her how everything was going.

"As well as can be expected, figuring I'm dead, being forced to say good bye to my friends, and oh yeah, trying to find someone to love me!"

Aida had giggled by faking a cough while St. Patrick had hidden a smile behind his regally dressed hand.

"That tough, is it?" He had asked, growing on Raven's nerves as she noticed the smug twinkle in his eyes.

"Yes, that tough, especially since it's impossible for anyone to love me!" Raven was furious at them to come and see her just to throw that simple little fact in her face. If it wasn't for her habit of keeping her emotions in tact, she would have been screaming at them.

Aida had smiled cheerfully up at the black mood Goth and had said, "I doubt it's impossible." Raven had had to control the urge to throw the little girl out the window.

"Besides Raven," St. Patrick began, shaking Raven from her evil thoughts, "if it had been impossible, there would never have been a reason to send you back in the first place." That had left Raven speechless and a little bewildered. Who could be out there that loved her, and they hadn't asked yet?

"Just remember Raven, you only have eight days left to find that someone. They're out there; you just have to look harder." Aida had the same smug twinkle that shone in St. Patrick's eye, but before Raven could ask either of them about it or for more hints, they had melted away, leaving Raven in her own confusion and shock. Someone out there did love her, but whom?

Raven blinked and pulled herself out of that memory as she heard padded footsteps coming from the hall. Beast Boy came stretching into view. He wore grey sweat pants with purple monkeys on them, and fuzzy bright green slippers. A nasty combination of colors Raven couldn't help but think.

"I'd thought I'd find you in here." He had said smugly, smiling one of his smiles that had a canine peeking though his lips.

"Where else would I be?" she asked dimly, not expecting an answer. Beast Boy obliged her by shrugging and heading for the fridge. He grabbed a jug of soy milk and drank it without getting a cup. Then, wiping his mouth, he put it back and went and sat down next to Raven.

"Moping again?" he asked, smiling.

"That coming from the person who pouts over the game controller when Cyborg's playing one person?"

Beast Boy looked shocked, "I do not." He chuckled and turned to stare out at the city. There were a few moments of silence before Beast Boy broke it again, "You never answered my question."

"I don't mope," Raven told him firmly. Beast Boy nodded while he tilted his head and stared at her for a moment. Raven, for the first time in her life, felt the urge to shift from his unwavering gaze.

"I talked to Robin this morning, when you were with Starfire." Beast Boy said, tearing his gaze away from her and back out the window. For some reason, his statement filled her with uneasiness, and she knew she didn't want to know what he said next.

"It's after midnight," she replied. Beast Boy was obviously thrown off by her remark and glanced at her confused.

"What are you talking about Raven?"

"You said this morning but technically it's a new day and right now is the morning." She stared straight out the window and avoided his bewildered gaze.

"You know what I meant Rae," he whined. She nodded her head, but that was the only evidence she gave that she heard him.

"Anyway, we were talking, and well, you know you only have…" Beast Boy stopped talking, swallowed and then finished his sentence, "five days left before it ends." He turned to her, "We think it'd be better to start looking again. None of us want you gone, Rae. We have to do something."

Raven felt an odd feeling of anger towards her friends. Did they want her to hear all the refusals? How no one loved her? She may be dead, but she still had feelings. She couldn't help the feeling of dread of going again through that ugly process.

Cyborg, Robin, Beast Boy, and Starfire all sat in the Titans East Tower. Bee was humming softly in the kitchen as she got their guest drinks, while Aqualad and Speedy sat on the opposite couch from the original titans. Mas y Menos were out on one of their joyful runs, which made Raven immensely happy; she had never liked their hyper nature that they seemed to have.

"How are you guys holding up?" Aqualad asked, as he stared earnestly at the small group.

"We're holding," Robin stated, his tone calm and quiet. The plan had been to keep on pretending Raven was dead. If the guys kept thinking she was dead, they might not be as reluctant to tell the truth of their feelings. "It's been hard, especially with Raven's body being stolen." Robin continued, noticing how Beast Boy's head had bobbed down to his chest and his shoulder shook slightly. To anyone else, it would have looked as if Beast Boy was sobbing for his lost friend, but in reality, they knew he was laughing.

"Are you trying to make this more difficult?" Raven had hissed in his ear. That had shut him up quickly enough, and the others, thankfully, didn't comment.

"Have they found out who stole her body yet?" Speedy asked, the tone in his voice was of curiosity and also anger. Would he be angry that someone had stolen her body? Maybe he had feelings for her?

"No, they've been searching, and so have we for that matter, but there still hasn't been any new clues." There was a moment of silence, and then, "When… when Raven died, we found out she had a diary."

"Raven kept a diary?" Aqualad asked in surprise. "I would never have put her as that type." Raven had sighed; she had told them that no one would believe she kept a diary.

"I know. She didn't, did she? That's why we were all surprised." Beast Boy cut in easily. "She wrote that she suspected a boy, that we all knew, had a thing for her."

There was an awkward silence as Beast Boy's words hung in the air. "Well, of course someone would have feelings for Raven. She was a great person," Bee said as she came buzzing into the room, carrying a tray of assorted drinks. She handed them out without saying another word until she plopped herself down on the couch that her teammates currently occupied.

"I bet you're wondering if it was one of these guys she was talking about, huh?" Bee said pointing to Aqualad and Speedy.

"Yeah actually, that's what we were thinking," Robin replied softly.

"Well," Starfire cut in. Aqualad and Speedy turned towards her, "Do you have or not have any romantic feelings for Raven?" It seemed as if all the Titans were holding their breath as they waited for the answer. If there was any chance of someone liking Raven, these were the most likely candidates, since she didn't know too many people.

"No, I'm sorry. It couldn't have been me she was mentioning. I barely know Raven, and she kind of scared me, with all her glaring and stuff." Speedy answered, unknowingly knocking himself off an invisible list.

Everyone turned towards Aqualad, "I'm sorry. I never felt anything but friendship for Raven. It was all platonic, never romantic. I hope she never thought differently." Everyone let out the breath they were holding, and Robin nodded his head.

"No, I'm sure she never thought that. Well, I'm glad we know for sure now."

"Raven, are you listening?" Beast Boy asked.

Raven blinked and turned towards the present Beast Boy, "What did you say, Beast Boy?" she asked.

"I said we were thinking of going back to Titans East and asking Mas y Menos. They weren't there last time. I mean, I told Robin that they had a crush on Star, but he's won't give up on it."

Raven shook her head slowly, "They hardly speak any English. Besides, I'm positive they have feelings for Starfire."

Beast Boy sighed, "We're trying, Rae."

Raven looked over at Beast Boy, who was staring down at his hands. He looked slightly defeated as she declined their idea. Over the past two weeks, Beast Boy and her hadn't squabbled like they had before. They didn't argue with each other, or make fun of each other; they treated each other like friends, best friends even. If Beast Boy was her best friend, and she had been mean to him, shouldn't she apologize?

Swallowing, and slightly nervous from doing something she was definitely not use to, she cleared her throat. "Beast Boy," he looked up at her, "I'm sorry I snapped. I appreciate your help. I wanted to thank you for that... err... thank you." Not the most graceful of apologies, but it had been done.

Beast Boy smiled, "Of course I'd help you Rae, and we're like best friends, aren't we?"

Raven allowed a small smile to show, just the corner of her mouth turning up, but it was a smile. She nodded her head, "Best friends." His smile grew, and then he yawned and stretched his arms over his head.

"You should probably go to bed now. It's getting late. You'll never get up in the morning." He nodded.

"Night, Rae. See you in the morning."

Raven nodded her head. "Good night," she replied tonelessly. It wasn't until she heard him climb the stairs and turn the corner that she realized he had been calling her Rae, and she had never noticed.

"Maybe Gizmo or Mammoth," Starfire asked, as she stuck a spoon full of chocolate ice cream with ketchup slathered over it into her mouth.

"Gizmo, that little shrimp would most likely love his computer before Raven," Cyborg exclaimed,

"... err... no offense, Rae." Raven just shrugged and watched as Beast Boy ate his banana split contently.

They all were sitting outside on a picnic table in the middle of the park, the autumn sun too tantalizing to keep them indoors. Cyborg's strawberry ice cream cone melted onto his hands as he licked delightedly at it. All Raven could do was watch and yearn.

"Maybe," Cy said, taking another gigantic lick of the cone, "Larry's in love with her."

"We could always try Hotspot, or Thunder and Lightening," Robin put in.

"Wildebeest is always a possibility," Beast Boy said calmly.

Raven sighed, "You guys just get more helpful by the minute." There was a moment of silence before everyone split up into laughter.

"Can't you see her with Wildebeest? They'd make a pair!" Cyborg cried, wiping tears from his human eye.

"Or with Hotspot... now, that would really keep the romance aflame." Beast Boy laughed harder at his own joke.

"Couldn't you see her with Larry? He'd be inside her head within the minute," Robin cried, cracking up.

"I do not understand why everyone is laughing. Is what you are saying suppose to be humorous?" The boys stopped laughing and turned towards the confused Tamaranean. Her bewildered stare only fueled the silliness of it all, and they broke into a new peal of laughter.

"Well, I'm glad my death hasn't hindered your amusement," Raven muttered to herself, but Beast Boy was close enough to hear it and immediately clamped down.

"I'm sorry, Raven," he immediately apologized. Robin and Cyborg, who were watching them, murmured their own apologies, and it became quiet once again.

"Perhaps it would be best if we took a break on all this thinking. Maybe it'll come to us when we least expect it." Raven nodded her head, and the others agreed.

"Let's walk back to the Tower. Maybe the nice Earth day will clear our heads, and we can further discuss Raven's love life when we get home," Starfire further suggested, getting up and popping the last of her cone into her mouth.

"That's a good idea, Star," Robin replied, following the girl as she began to walk down the sidewalk.

"Hey, wait!" Cyborg cried, jogging after them. Beast Boy stood up and threw away the rest of the ice cream.

"Who else is there, Rae?" he asked as she and he followed the group.

Raven pulled up her hood and stated, "No one else."

"What!" Beast Boy cried. That drew the attention of the trio ahead and many other civilians out and about. Beast Boy only ignored their curious glances, "How can you say that? Of course there's someone else. Don't be stupid, Rae."

"It's not stupidity. It's the truth. Beast Boy, you've done everything you could; everyone has. It doesn't matter anymore; I'm ready to accept death. My father cannot harm me, and I will never become like him."

"No you won't, because I won't let that happen!" Raven turned around to face him, but before she could begin to argue with Beast Boy, he took off, changing into a bird and flying away. Raven frowned in irritation and quickly caught up with the waiting group.

"Were you and Beast Boy arguing?" Starfire asked innocently. She took a step back at the venomous glare Raven sent her and kept her mouth shut.

"Hey, I'll meet you guys at the Tower," Cyborg said suddenly, throwing the attention from Raven to himself.

"Any problems?" Robin asked, quirking a brow.

"None. Just have to run an errand," Cy said and dashed off in the opposite direction.

Robin sighed and glanced at the irritable Goth and the offended Tamaranean, "Wish I could go with you," he mumbled, and they continued for the Tower.

"I'll have a latte," Cyborg said to the waitress in the dark café shop. She gave him an odd look, and Cyborg remembered where he was, "Err... I mean a green tea, and can I see Jinx when she's free?" The waitress looked surprised but nodded and wrote his order down, then left him in peace. Cy remembered that Raven had always drunk that kind of tea in the morning, so it was the first herbal drink that came to him.

Really, Cyborg hadn't lied to Robin; he really was running an errand. He had to ask Jinx if she was sure that neither Gizmo nor Mammoth had feelings for Rae. He couldn't take the chance if they had been wrong in not asking the H.I.V.E. students.

"Here's your tea, sir…" said a familiar voice as she rounded the corner. Jinx stopped at the sight of Cyborg sitting in an antique looking chair, looking uncomfortable.

"What are you doing here? You're not robbing the bank next to us, are you?" Jinx asked, setting down his tea and sitting across from him.

"Naw, I leave that up to the professionals," he winked at her and continued, "Won't you get in trouble for sitting down?"

"Nope," Jinx said slyly, "Mimi will cover me. Besides, it's about my break time anyway." Cyborg nodded, took a sip of his tea, grimaced, and pushed it towards her.

Jinx laughed at his expression and took a sip from the cup, "So, are you really going to tell me why you're here?"

"Can't I come visit you?" Cy asked jokingly.

"Don't be a smartass, and don't beat around the bush. Tell me all ready."

"Okay," Cy said as he leaned back in his chair, "is it possible that Gizmo or Mammoth are in love with Raven?"

This was obviously not what Jinx was expecting, "In love with Raven? I think Gizmo would first love his computer than Raven, no offense to her. Mammoth and I aren't very close. He never talks to me, but I assure you that I would highly doubt him of having feelings for her."

Cyborg blinked in surprise as she quoted him from before, "That's what I was thinking, too, but I had to make sure."

"I wouldn't worry about them," Jinx said, taking another sip of the tea, "What you need to worry about is how you have yet to find Raven's someone. How long do you have left anyway?"

"Five days, counting today. I don't know what to do," Cyborg sighed, "I just can't let her go, and not after all we've been through."

There was a moment of silence as the both of them thought over his words. Finally, Jinx was the one to break it, "Have you ever thought of trying closer to home?"

"Hmm, what do you mean?"

"What I mean," Jinx said slowly and evenly as she took another sip from the tea, "is that maybe you should look and see if Robin or Beast Boy is in love with her," silence, "maybe even you."

"Me?" he asked, poking himself in the chest. Jinx nodded and drowned the rest of the cup.

"Think it over Cyborg; the answer could save her life." With that final statement, Jinx cleaned up the table and left Cyborg still in his stunned silence. He blinked a few times to clear his head, and then quickly stumbled out of the Café. If Jinx is right, then I have to figure out the answer quick. It could be one of us three that have been in love with her in the first place.

Cyborg hurried home, but the only people he could find once reaching the tower were the girls.

"Have you seen Robin, or Beast Boy, or both?" Cyborg asked Starfire, who was humming as she washed the morning dishes.

"Robin stopped at the building of food as we passed it on our way home. He said it was his day for grocery shopping. I did inform him that it was mine, but he said that he'd switch the cleaning with the shopping." Starfire updated him and gave him a giant smile, but then, she frowned with worry. "We could not find Beast Boy when we got home."

"Do you know where he is?" he asked Raven, who was sitting in a chair. She gave him a glare and shook her head.

"I would not try talking to Raven right now; she is what you boys call 'moody'." Starfire said, this time wiping a plate too hard and breaking it, "Oops."

Cyborg sighed and sat on the living room couch, "If I were Beast Boy, and I flew home after a fight with a Goth," that earned a glare from Raven, "where would I fly to?" He thought for a moment and suddenly snapped his fingers, "The roof!"

The autumn sun was slowly making its decent towards the water as if it were trying to drown itself. Beast Boy couldn't help the twitch of regret and guilt at those thoughts, at what he had done earlier today. He rolled onto his stomach and let his arm hang off the side of the building, waving back and forth and tingling slightly as the blood pooled into his fingertips. He couldn't help the one thought that filled his mind, Four more days to go.

"There you are, BB," Cy said as he shut the door to the roof. Beast Boy glanced over his shoulder and then turned back to the view. "What are you doing up here?"

"Thinking," he replied monotonously. He listened as Cyborg's loud footsteps came closer and closer until the whole building shuddered as Cyborg dropped down beside the shape shifter's head.

"I've been talking to Jinx," Cyborg began, training his gaze at the city.

Beast Boy mouth quirked into a smile, "Have you?" he asked slyly.

Cyborg frowned at him, "Yeah, I have, and we were talking about Raven."

Beast Boy's face instantly turned neutral, "What'd Jinx have to say?"

"She told me there's no way in Hell that Gizmo and Mammoth could have feelings for Raven. She also said to me that she thought we should be searching closer to home."

"Huh, what's that mean?" Beast Boy asked, his full attention was now on Cyborg.

"It means that she thinks one of us three guys is in love with her." Cyborg said, softly looking over at Beast Boy. His brilliant green eyes gave away no emotion at all, forcing Cyborg to voice his question out loud. "I have to ask you this, BB. I have to know. Do you love Raven?"

There was an awkward silence and Beast Boy, from the corner of his eye saw the sun drop down beneath the sea, drowning… like Raven.

My replies to those who don't have accounts:

UrbanOphelia: I know aren't you proud of me, yay! I'm glad well the chapters should be comming a lot fast (hopefully). I really hope you liked this chapter! Ciao darling!

Deide: Thanks I'm glad you liked it! I updated quickly, hope it was quick enough for you,yay!

Nos482: Thanks!

TheWatcherandReader: Thanks, hope you liked this one!

A. Nonymous: I'm glad you did! It doesn't matterhow long it is as long as you do! I know exactly how you feel, I've been going through the exact same thing. I really hope this chapter makes you feel a little better (maybe?) and I hope you feel better anyway! (Hug)

Behind the Disguise: I know I'm not the best person to write the action. Thanks! I just put it up, lol, that's funny you reviewed as I put it up! It should be a good ending, I'm hoping!