Chap. 16

Bedside Conversations

"You're sure about all this?" Sara asked for had to be the fiftieth time. "Positive. I may not be as sensitive to as you, but I'm not blind either." Brett said, as he turned his chair around from his desk. The two of them sat in their room, thinking over the incidents of the last week. Of course, there was one specific matter that held their interest at the moment, especially Sara. It had taken some time to get it out of Brett; he had wanted to wait until Raven was in a calmer state to talk about BB's crush to anyone. He'd even called the other Knights and postponed Raven's initiation until they got things calmed down. The last thing he wanted was for her to hear about something else while she was still so confused and get even worse. But Sara was quite persuasive, and after deciding to deny Brett sex for the last two days, he'd told her everything.

Shifting her position on their bed, she shook her head in amazement. "I always hoped that she'd met somebody but him…" "I know exactly what you mean." Brett replied. "But now that we know, what do we do about it?" At that, Sara raised an eyebrow and asked, "I don't think there's too much we can to at this point, is there? It's up to BB to make the first move, and up to her from there." As she spoke though, Brett's face squinted in discontent. Noting the expression on the bat's face, Sara asked, "You were hoping for a different answer, weren't you?" Sighing, he replied, "Well, kinda. It isn't that I don't like Beast Boy. But I just don't know if he's, well, the right kind of guy for Raven."

"What kind of guy is that?" Sara asked. "Somebody who understands her. Somebody who is able to accept responsibilities and work to the best of his ability to get to them. Someone who never shirks from his family." "Someone like you." Sara finished. Brett started to protest, but then stopped when he realized she was right. "Damn you're good." He muttered. Getting up from the bed, Sara crossed the room to her husband. Taking his arm, she said, "Brett, that's what every father wants for his daughter. But you can't make it happen. Let Raven make her own choice, when she's ready." Covering his wife's hand with his own, Brett nodded. "But it isn't that." He said. "I don't know what she would be getting into anymore. The Beast Boy I've seen the last few days…. It was like a different person. It was almost like he was starting to grow up, and frankly, it was into somebody I could respect. I just don't know if he can stay that way. You know how insecure he is. It's why he always tells those jokes. But this isn't something he can joke his way out of, and I don't know how it will all turn out."

Brett didn't know how close to the mark he was. Right now, Beast Boy was sitting in his room, engaging in a task that was taking all of his skill and ability to accomplish. Sweat poured down his brow as he attempted to finish this awesome task. Finally, he got one step closer to his goal, and did something that he had only twice in the last half hour- turn the page. "Finally." He muttered, as he continued to push through the Complete Works of Emily Dickinson. It was not a book he was particularly enjoying, but he wanted to finish. Then maybe, if he knew something about it, he would be able to really talk with her about something. Why couldn't Raven like monster trucks or something? He thought, as he opened to poem 10 and continued on. Or at least he would have, had there not been a knock on the door. "Hey BB open up!" came Cyborg's voice from the other side. "Uh, be right there." Beast Boy replied, as he shoved the book under his sheets. The last thing the green one needed was somebody else finding out about this and spilling the beans to Raven.

"What's up Cy?" he asked, as he swung open the door. But all the green one saw was Cyborg's outstretched hand. Then he realized what was in it. "No way…. It can't be…." "Oh it is little man. Samurai Robo-Monkeys 5: Silver Edition!" "EEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPP!" BB cried, as he grabbed the game out of Cyborg's hand and began to dance around. "It just came out today. Come on, I wanna kick your butt monkey style." Cyborg said as he started to walk down the hall. BB began to follow, but then he stopped as the happy look left his face. "Um, I'd love to… but I can't." he said. At that, Cyborg stopped in his tracks. Turning around slowly, he looked right at BB and said, "Samurai Robo-Monkeys?"

"Yeah"

"Silver Edition?"

"Uh-huh?"

"The one that you've waited a year for?"

"Yep."

"And you don't wanna play?"

"Yes."

"Who are you, and what have you done with Beast Boy?"

"I'm sorry man, I just have some reading to do." The green one answered. But that didn't really help matters. "Reading? Now I know you're an alien… oh wait, are you reading what I think you are?" "What are you talking about?" "You know. Do you keep it under the bed?" Cy asked grinning, as he slipped past BB into the green one's room. As he started to look around, BB suddenly realized what he was talking about. "Cy I don't have those kind of magazines." He argued. "Sure. It is under your bed, isn't it?" Cy asked as he lifted the bed up in his search. "No! Come on man, I'll play ok?" "No, no, now I have to see it." The bionic teen insisted as he put the bed back. But it then he noticed the lump underneath the sheets. "Gotcha BB!" he yelled as he reached under the sheets, ignoring the green one's cries of protest. Pulling his arm back Cy's face glowed in triumph, but then turned to confusion.

"Um, this is not what I expected." He said, as Beast Boy grabbed the book out of his hand. "It doesn't' matter, ok?" The green one muttered. "I didn't realize you liked Dickinson." "I-I don't. It's for research." BB stammered. "What kind of research?" We don't go to school." "Look just drop it ok?" "Heck, I think the only one here who reads that stuff is……" Suddenly, Cyborg went silent, as a large grin spread over his face. BB knew he'd been found out. "Cy, please…." He begged. Cyborg didn't say a word. He just walked to the door, shut it, and then turned back to Beast Boy. The grin he wore shrunk a bit, as his face took on a more serious appearance. "Have you told her?" he asked suddenly. "Asked who?" the green one replied, trying to play dumb. "Come on B, I'm being serious. Have you told Raven how you feel?"

At that point, Beast Boy realized there wasn't any point in playing dumb. "No." he said quickly. "Well that's a good idea. Now would be a really bad time. Does she have any idea?" "I don't think so." The green one replied, as he sat down on his bed. "She doesn't act any different around me." Cy nodded. "So what do you plan to do?" "I don't know. I thought this was a good start." BB answered, gesturing to the book. But Cyborg shook his head. "What, it isn't?" Beast Boy asked in confusion. "Man, do you know why Rorek got to her so easy? Because they were just like her. And they both hurt her." "OK, but what am I supposed to do?" "You gotta do what neither one of them could- find yourself in her and she'll find herself in you."

"So we have to get the mirror again?" Beast Boy asked. "No man, I mean you have to like her for her, and she'll like you for you." "I'm still not getting you." "Look, you both have qualities that are useful. She knows how to focus and keep control. You know how to enjoy yourself and have fun. You two could really balance each other that way." "Come on, you think she'd like me 'cause of that?" BB snorted. "Why not? I think she'd like it better then if you faked liking Emily Dickinson." At that, BB's eyes lit up. "See, you know it's a good idea." Cy said. "You need to be yourself, and if Raven feels the same, then she'll like you back." "But what if it doesn't' work?" BB asked. "Then you'll know that it isn't real. But if you really care this much, then I don't think it will happen." "Yeah you're right." BB said, as he nodded. "Guess I better take this back to the library." He said as he set the book down. "But I've got something more important to say to someone first." As he started to leave the room, he turned and asked, "How do you know so much about relationships?" "I've got a girl I want to impress to." Cyborg replied, as the door opened behind them "Oh. Well good luck. I'm sure you and Bumblebee will turn out great." Beast Boy said, as he walked though the door. As the green one walked off, Cy shook his head sadly and muttered, "Bumblebee. Sure."