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Scooter: Remember, this is your fault!
Change-of Heart 2: What? No comment? You have me quite interested in reading a comment from you. (Brain: Obviously, this one does not know the drill-yet.)
Visigoth: Yes, you are thinking too much. You always think too much. Oh, wait-that's a good thing... (Brain: As long as you review.) Oh yeah- thanks!
Tameranian Raven: Thank you. (Brain: You review longer-you live longer...)
Goldfishgal: Page breaks! FFdotnet pagebreaks? Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! (Brain: Should we tell her?)
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Lady of Faerie: Huh? Someone is impersonating me? Or are you another of those multiple personalities? Hey-I like cigarettes! No, I don't smoke. I believe in constitutional rights, and personal responsibility! (Brain: Like he can understand that...) I got my soymilk-resistant raincoat on...
fernnu: Hey-if I didn't leave you wondering, how would I extract multiple reviews from you guys? (Brain: He really gets off on begging...sick puppy...)
FULLMETAL49: Page breaks should be free! Free to assume whatever shap they wish! They used to be allowed to roam free. Then the evil ffadmin banished them to limbo. Now, we must use approved single-line page breaks, or use our own imaginations to create something different. (Brain: It's also really funny when people don't get it...)
What! That's it? Nine reviews? Where are the rest of my adoring fans? (Brain: Cowering in fear...)
The Accounting, Chapter the Second.
The eastern sky was beginning to push off its dark blanket of stars, by the time Beastboy settled down on the roof of Titans Tower. Exhausted, but feeling an exhilaration that almost made him giddy, he made his way down the stairwell, padding silently. He turned the corner before his room – and pulled up short.
"Raven?" he offered weakly.
Raven remained in the same posture, leaning casually against the wall, arms folded across her chest. She accusingly raised one eyebrow. "Beastboy. Wanna tell me what's going on?" Her unwavering stare bored into the disconcerted changeling.
Beastboy lowered his eyes, and nervously cast about, seeking something to provide an excuse not to deal with Raven's challenge. Unfortunately, the hall was spotless, as usual, and completely devoid of any décor. He spoke hesitantly, fixing on the bottom of Raven's cloak. "Hey – can't a guy have a little fun? I – was just, you know – just goofing around town."
The dark girl was unwavering. "You didn't get in any trouble, did you? It's awfully late..."
"Look, Raven – I'm tired. You mind if I just go to bed now?" Beastboy spoke hurriedly, agitation creeping into his voice and showing in his hand-wringing gestures. He moved to pass Raven, but she quickly shifted her position, blocking his path.
Raven continued to control her temper. "BB – you know you can trust me. Let me help..." She extended a hand, resting it lightly on one of his slight shoulders.
"I don't need help!" Beastboy snapped at her, shrugging her hand off of him. "Sorry. I'm fine, really," he continued in a softer tone. "Why do you think something's wrong?"
"Look in a mirror." She took a short breath. "You have scratches on your face, your ear looks cut, and – what is that? Blood on your mouth?" She moved to touch his face, gently, but the green one backed away a step, looking slightly fearful.
"It's – it's nothing, Raven," he spoke as calmly as possible, but he wasn't even convincing himself. "I just need a shower – and sleep...been havin' trouble sleepin'," he mumbled.
He once again tried to pass the blockade that was his teammate, who once again refused him passage.
"Damn it, Beastboy! I know that something is wrong, and I'm not gonna let you just brush me off like this!" Raven tried to keep her voice down, but she had seen that book under Beastboy's bed... "Listen, Beastboy – I care what happens to you-" Blushing at her admission, she quickly changed her tack. "-we all care about you, and – uh – we're worried about you lately. You've been acting strangely." Now it was her turn to wish the encounter hadn't happened. Nothing much could frighten the young sorceress, but the thought of Beastboy knowing that she liked him terrified her for some reason.
Beastboy was too tired to think of the implications of what he was saying. "Why do you care what happens to me?" He regretted saying it instantly, as he saw the hurt look that flashed briefly in Raven's eyes; but the girl gave him no chance to correct himself.
Raven was hurt – but only allowed a brief flicker of emotions to escape, before clamping down her feelings. "Good question – why the hell should I care?" She delivered her line as casually as possible, and in one swift motion, flipped up her hood and turned to leave. She ignored Beastboy as he tried to apologize, and went to her room without looking back.
Beastboy muttered a few choice words to himself. He desperately wanted to confide in someone, Raven most of all. He wanted to share his burden with her; she would know what to do. He shuddered. 'No,' he thought, 'this is going to have to be my problem to take care of.' Even Raven would reject him, if she knew...
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Breakfast the next morning was uneventful. Robin was showing off his expertise with a spatula, while Cyborg ran a diagnostic on the tower's security system. Starfire was content to observe Robin as he prepared 'Omelettes.'
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Raven plodded downstairs to get her usual morning cup of tea. She was completely exhausted, and should have been sleeping, but since she had seen the book in Beastboy's room, she felt bound to cover for him. It wasn't logical of her to sacrifice her sleep to protect the changeling from Robin, but love never is logical. Not that Raven would admit that her deepening feelings for Beastboy amounted to 'love.'
Robin had been thoughtful enough to heat her water for her, so Raven grabbed a tea bag, mumbled her morning greetings to the others, and settled into the far end of the couch to put some distance between herself and the ever-ebullient Starfire.
"Hey, what was BB doing out all night?" Cyborg had uncovered Raven's amateurish attempt to modify the tower's secure access record. "And who would be trying to wipe the evidence...?"
Robin hurried over to the panel Cyborg was plugged into, his senses on high alert.
Before Robin or Cyborg could make further comment, Raven interrupted. "I did it. I tried to cover for BB." She looked downcast. "Beastboy has – a problem that he and I are working on. He needed some time alone, that's all. We didn't want you to find out." She hated lying to her teammates, but Beastboy needed her help now, even if he hadn't figured that out yet.
The grilling began. Raven had to exercise all of her considerable self-restraint to keep her voice down. Cyborg was upset with her for fiddling with his system. Robin was demanding to know why Raven had taken it upon herself to help Beastboy, without consulting him first.
For once, Raven was glad to have Starfire's endless optimism on hand. The Tamaranian princess was the voice of reason, calming Robin, and convincing him that Raven would 'not act in such a way' without good reason
Robin grunted a small apology, plodding back to the kitchen to finish preparing breakfast. Raven decided the time had come for a bit of meditation, tired or not. As she passed Starfire on her way out of the room, the sorceress hesitated just long enough to hold the redheaded girl's gaze. A half-whispered 'Thanks,' was all she allowed to escape her lips, but she left behind a beaming Starfire.
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Beastboy cautiously opened the heavy rooftop door, not wanting to startle Raven. He had witnessed her unpleasant reactions to being interrupted while meditating.
'Funny,' he thought. 'She's not even chanting.' As he got closer to the cloaked one, an involuntary grin took hold of his mouth. She was asleep, snoring ever so gently. Beastboy deliberated his next move. Should he leave her alone? Was that safe? On the other hand, if he woke her, he knew what she might do to him.
The green teen resolved to risk waking Raven. He stomped about on the roof, reckoning that he could keep a safe distance that way, which he was sure was a good idea, and at the same time hoping to rouse the ill-tempered sorceress without touching her.
It only took one circle of five stomps to achieve the desired effect. Raven was roused from her sleep without too much drama.
"Huh...where am-" she started, before becoming fully aware of her surroundings. She looked around, and fixed on Beastboy.
Beastboy noted that she gazed at him almost quizzically, before hardening her expression.
"Uh – hi, Raven. I thought... well, it's kinda late, and the guys told me about what you said."
Raven pondered the meaning of his words, but decided to allow him to continue, without prying. Yet. "Okay...?" was her rejoinder.
Beastboy was terrified. He wanted to tell her everything, but he couldn't work up the courage. It was too much; too much. He was uncertain of his ability to keep separate his affection for Raven and his horrifying secret life; if he told her of one, he was afraid he would also be tempted to confess the other.
"Well, I just wanted to tell you thanks, I guess," Beastboy said, blushing, "I was kinda surprised that, you know, that you did something so nice for me..." his voice trailed off to a whisper as he finished, "...thought you didn't like me."
Raven was mildly surprised to get even that much truth out of her furry comrade, who looked very uncomfortable. She chose her words carefully, not wanting to waste this precious chance at intimacy. "You know that's not true, Beastboy; you've seen my emotions." She spoke in a kindly manner, although her voice was still laced with a sandpapery edge. "You know my true feelings, as only one other does."
The still-blushing Beastboy nodded, solemnly.
"There is more you want to tell me though, isn't there?" The dark girl tried her best to sound non-threatening. "Why don't you let me in on your thoughts? I promise-"
"I – I – No! I can't!" stammered the shape changer. His eyed widened with fear, and he took one step backwards, before turning and bolting for the door.
"That went well," Raven noted to herself. She decided a little more meditating was in order.
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"This is really starting to piss me off," thought Raven out loud, as she flew in pursuit of a green simulacrum of a Red Tailed Hawk. This was the third night in a row that she had tried, and failed, to catch Beastboy in the act of... whatever the hell he was doing all night.
The tracker hadn't worked; he was careful not to take his communicator with him, although she wondered where he kept it anyway, when he changed form. Raven had a feeling that whatever was going on was somehow connected to that book she found under his bed, and the cryptic notes in the margins.
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"Damn, I can't wait to get some sleep, when this is over," Beastboy spoke aloud, knowing there was no one within miles of him. 'Funny,' he thought, 'how my toes always start itching, first...'
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Raven returned to the tower after a cursory search of Beastboy's landing area. He was just too fast for her.
Besides, he could be a fly, or snake, or some other animal that was too small to follow, she rationalized. She knew he wouldn't be home for many hours, and decided to get some sleep, if that was possible.
Robin was waiting up for her, sitting with his back against the door to her room. 'He might be asleep,' thought the dark girl. Raven could phase-shift through the wall to avoid the Boy Wonder, but she understood that would only postpone the inevitable confrontation. She closed her eyes, and concentrated on finding her center, taking the time to stabilize her breathing and heart rate, then stepped boldly up to Robin, and cleared her throat in as rude a manner as she could manage.
"Oh! Hey Raven!" Robin said, jumping neatly to his feet. If he had been asleep, Robin hid it quite well, acting as if he had expected the dark girl to show up at just that moment. "You and Beastboy have been out again." It wasn't a question; he continued without waiting for a reply, "I know you're doing what you think is right, but it's my responsibility to make sure-"
"You arrogant bastard!" Raven spat. "You set yourself up as leader of this group – you weren't elected. What the hell makes you think that you have the right to pry into our private lives?" Seeing the appalled look on Robin's face gave her pause. She realized, with a start, that she was allowing her feelings for Beastboy to affect her reasoning. 'And why not?' she told herself. 'Damn it, I'm entitled to have feelings, like anyone else.' "Look Robin, I'm sorry I yelled at you, but you have to trust me on this one. BB's not doing anything illegal…" -or so she hoped- "…and if he was, you'd know about it."
"Rae, I just think that it's best that we don't have secrets from one another," Robin began.
"Have you told Starfire how you feel about her yet?" Raven snarled, grinning at the irony.
Robin, blushing furiously, assumed a sullen demeanor, defensively crossing his arms on his chest. "Yeah, I see your point," he reluctantly allowed, "but if he is doing anything criminal... well, you know my feelings on that topic." He walked slowly to his room, beaten at his own game, caught in inconsistency.
This is where I would normally beg for reviews. However, due to popular request, I will not beg.
Ha! Just kidding!
Please, please, please, please review! I am on my knees, begging. I implore you! I must have more reviews, or I cannot continue...gasp...
