Chapter Nine: Words withheld, let go

Swinging fast thru the city, blurring past the towers of metal in this modern jungle. The leader of the Titans acrobats himself across the city like an ancient demigod guardian, the fiery angel from beyond the heavens flies next to him as they follow the locater signals towards a large conglomeration of Titans.

And both knew, that was where Cheshire was.

H

Starfire, spying the huddle group of Titans in the middle of the torn and blasted street, soared down in a zip of speed that caused the air to rush and swirl in a spiral after her.

"Robin, there!" came her sweet voice as she descended thru the winter night.

Robin swung his way on stretching limbs and cords down the location of his team.

Huddled on the street where a battered and beaten trio consisting of Kid Flash, Herald, and HotSpot and standing around them was Aqualad and his reinforcements.

Pantha, who was pacing back and forth in irritation, Argent who happened to be staring off in space, thinking about something, and Jinx, who was holding and petting the bruised form of the Fastest Boy Alive.

Robin looked at Aqualad first, as he was the ranking Titan here, who was staring off at a particular abandoned building with arms crossed, foot tapping, and a glare so intense that the Boy Wonder wouldn't have been surprise if something spontaneously combusted.

"Aqualad, what's going on?" Robin asked as Starfire went to the wounded three.

"…" Aqualad grumbled towards the silent building.

Robin's eyemask gave a look of 'Bzuh?' and then the Titan snapped out of it, "Aqualad! Where's Cheshire!"

The Atlantean visibly shivered and spun on the caped crusader angrily, "Oh! I'll tell you where that damn little slut is! I tell you where she is! She's off with Roy doing the horizontal slide, that's what! Fucking two timing motherbitch!"

The whole group of Titans gave the wet-suit clad hero a wide-eyed look of amazment.

There was a moment of cold silence.

"OK. What's going on here?" Robin asked, eyemask squinting.

"Uh.. Robin!" Kid Flash shakily raised his hand like a nervous school-boy, "I-I know what's going on here!"

Aqualad turned with a flash of rage in his black eyes, "Wally don't you da-"

But it was too late, the speedster hand blurred out of his lover's arms and was whispering something into the Boy Wonder's ear.

Something that made the Boy Wonder's jaw drop to the asphalt beneath them.

"A-Aqualad… Is-is this…"

"OK! OK!" Aqualad screamed angrily, "I LOVE GUYS! OK? I ABSOLUTELY ADORE THE THOUGHT OF SOME HOT, STEAMY, RIVULETS! AND I DEFINITELY LOVE SOME-"

"Speedy!" Starfire, either oblivious of or choosing to ignore Aqualad's loud exiting the closet, chirped happily as the archer came out with the small, unmasked, asian assassin.

"Titans, she's willing to turn herself in." Roy grunted and held the small girl closer to him as she shiver and shook.

And the Titans got a good look at the unmasked Cheshire for the first time.

H

Vision and cognizance spiraled around in the cranial cage of Raven's skull.

"Oomph…what's going on?" the mystic girl asked groggily. That's when those hazel eyes came into her vision, tan smooth skin, golden locks, with a curious look Joey stared down at the dark lady lying on the couch. "Joey? What's going on-"

Jericho shushed her, one of the few noises he could make, and helped her sit herself up on the couch…

… In the Titan's Main Room.

Raven's eyes widened and her migraine heightened as she noticed their location, "Joey… why are we in the Tower? Last I remembered we where in Slade's mansion."

Joey gave Raven a look that said 'What?'

He hand signed quickly to the confused girl, 'Raven, I'm sorry. In the fight in the alleyway you got hit upside the head by some random thug. Afterward I took him out and brought you back here. You have a concussion and you need to relax for a little while. Here, take this.' Joey smiled warmly as he handed the groggy Ice Queen a cup of warm tea that she took with quivering, petite hands.

Taking drink from his hands.

Her fingers slid to their usual spots on the smooth surface of the warm cup.

It felt good against her cold hands.

She raised her blue eyes to meet his hazel ones, "B-but Joey! I remember, I woke up in a mansion! And the piano, and Rose, and Slade's study, he's your dad and… and- Tr-Trigon! They had summoned Trigon! Or something like him!" Raven stammered.

Joey gave a worried but reassuring smile before hand signing good naturedly, 'Whoa, Raven. You know getting hit that hard on the head can make you imagine things, especially while you're unconscious. Come on Raven. Trigon? You kicked his ass, remember? And, Slade as my dad? Raven, do you honestly think that could even be a remote possibility?'

Raven, head still swirling and groggy looked at his handsome face and made contact with those sweet, hazel eyes. Something warm and safe washed over her whole being, and it definately wasn't the tea.

"Y-your right Joey. I don't know what I was- but it was so vivid." Raven sighed.

Joey chuckled mutely, 'I know what you mean. Here, can you walk?'

"I think so." Raven set down her untouched tea and tried to stand. She was soon up on the two wet noodles that were currently her legs, she appeared to have regained her balance when her head whirled with dizziness and she plummeted forward.

Into a strong chest and a pair of arms.

The groggy girl looked up, head hurting, mind confused, body off balance, and now extremely flustered, into that charming face.

Those deep, hazel eyes made her… trust him.

"J-Joey."

'Yea?' he mutely mouthed.

A moment of warm, golden silence as the two stared at each other, her in his arms.

Their faces not an inch apart.

And the snow began to fall in the night sky behind them.

Raven, confused and not entirely lucid, leaned up to him and the two pairs of lips met as if it was a common practice.

And their arms wrapped around the other's body as the kiss grew more passionate.

Joey could feel her body pressing desiringly up against him, certain parts more than others, and in between the tongue war with Raven he noticed how warm it was between the two of them. A comfortable hot.

And the kiss broke as they parted for breath.

A moment simply past as the snow fell outside window in white silence.

"Th-thanks for the catch." Raven murmured, a large pink hue befalling her pale cheeks.

Joey smile warmly at the petite girl in his arms and put his forehead against hers.

The Ice Queen melted, and smiled back.

And the two stayed like that for what seemed like a glorious eternity in paradise.

Until…

"Ahem!" Argent cleared her throat with cynicism and gusto.

The two startled and gazed wide-eyed at the crew who had just stepped out of the elevator.

Argent, Pantha, and Jinx, each helping a wounded boy, and in Jinx and Kid Flashes case sneaking in grabs, pats and pinches whose morality were questionable.

"Well, well," Isaiah said from Argents side, "Jericho my man… you are GOD!"

He jumped off Argents supporting shoulder and bowed before the young teen, whose arm's were still around Raven by the way.

"Teach me, I am your humble student." Isaiah groveled mockingly.

Jericho embarassedly gave a mute chuckle.

The others giggled and wailed.

Raven was about to die.

"Yea, that's what you said to Speedy and Aqualad, but we all know how that turned out. HAH!" Kid Flash laughed.

Jericho gave Kid Flash a look that said, 'What?'

"Umm," the blushing mystic jumped out of Jericho's warm arms and had to grab onto the couch to stabilize herself, "Jericho tells me I have a concussion. Could one of you girls help me to the shower so I can clear my head?"

"Sure, apparently I'm done chauffeuring Hotstuff. C'mon hun." The pale girl gave the mystic her arm for support.

H

It would have been a scene of silent bliss, but as it was it was a scene of bliss with the echoing sounds of footsteps, barking dogs, and the occasional speeding car going by.

And, of course, the lovely sound of her voice.

"… and so that's my school year thus far." Tara finished happily, "So, what have you been up to since you stopped stalking me?" she asked playfully.

Beast Boy's brow began to collect sweat, "Hey, I wasn't stalking you that time. I was just… looking out for you."

She looked down to the cold sidewalk they were plodding across. The concrete sidewalk that was painted silver from the milky rays of the moon. And she spoke, "Trying to convince me I was a Titan."

Beast Boy inwardly groaned, and then outwardly groaned, "Ah, Tara. Eh, it wasn't like- I didn't mean to… ugh. Can we just… forget that for now?"

Tara's gaze kept to the ground but now she turned her head the opposite direction of the green changeling, "Oh… yea. Of course."

As a car blew past it stirred up a freezing bitter wind onto the two pedestrians.

And once again Beast Boy felt like a fly buzzing around the lights.

Suddenly the Titan burst forth, "Tara, have you remembered anything yet? Anything at all?"

"Dammit Beast Boy you just asked if we could leave it alone!" the small but volatile school girl exploded on the shape shifter.

The two stopped in their tracks.

Beast Boy held a look of apprehension on his face, which quickly melted into a look of melancholy, "You're right, sorry. Lets just get you home."

Tara stared, wide eye and lost in herself as the green boy that was starting to creep back into her memories trudged on ahead of her, broken and defeated.

And it was because of her.

She leaped forwards and grabbed a hold of Beast Boy's torso from behind, "I'm sorry for yelling at you just now Beat Boy. I hope you're not mad." She whispered quietly, longingly.

Beast Boy was out of himself, as if he was no longer in control of himself, and in thsi state he merely freed one arm and wrapped it around her body and rubbed her back, "Shhhh, Tara. It's OK. I forgive you. I forgive you... for everything."

Tara smiled, ignorant of the full measure of the last statement.

And the two plodded onto her house in the hugging fashion they were now in. Unbeknowst to them at the moment after dropping her off at her house and exchanging a secret and rushed kiss goodnight, Cyborg would roll up in the T-Car as he had been tracking the green one down. They would relate the night's stories to one another on the drive back to the Tower where they would meet everyone.

But for now, the two walked down the street in a warm golden silence, the dog's stopped barking, the cars were nowhere to be seen, and even their own footsteps where as light as the giggle of a butterfly.

"Beast Boy?"

"Yea Tara?"

"You smell nice."

H

Later that night in Jericho's room the blonde flung himself down on the waiting mattress of his bed with an innocent, satisfied smile.

Everyone had already returned and he heard all the stories of the night. After taking a shower and a quick and unexpected goodnight to him, Raven had quickly retired to her room. And now the Titans were sleeping, save for a few (namely Wally, Garfield, and Mal) who were probably still up laughing and muttering about Roy and Garth's newly discovered sexuality, which they would surely rip on them for.

It had been a long day, and Joey closed his hazel eyes with a mute sigh and attempted to fall into slumber within the quiet, snowy night.

His eyes snapped back open and a frown set itself upon his face. He hopped out of his bed and snatched up a photo that had been given to him this afternoon.

A photo of dead bodies, summoning circles, and the Mark of Scathe…

A picture given to him… by his father.

A moment of crimson silence in the room of the muse, mute, Titan.

He worriedly hid the picture away and dove back to bed to trade in his waking nightmares for ones of sleep.

END OF THE FIRST DAY