Disclaimer: I do not own teen titans or the words to the song Together by Avril Lavigne. A chapter dedicated to Terra. About Terra. To see what makes her tick.
Hand in Hand
Chapter Twenty Seven: Together
Still 1st of December
As a member of the teen titans there were many hardships and trials that Terra knew she would have to face and overcome. She accepted this; it was the cycle of life for a titan. There was a lot of grief that she had to put up with from the public, from villains and sometimes even from her own team mates. Mainly Raven.
The blonde wasn't exactly sure what had sparked off the incessant quest to out do one another. But she was pretty sure that it was Raven's fault. It was always some one else's fault. At every corner the gothic sorceress was constantly trying to out do her. Terra hated it; it wasn't as if beating her would achieve anything.
Raven was a freak. Not that Terra had anything against freaks, because most the titans and her friends were all different in some way. It was just that everyone else was able to have fun and at least tried to act normal though. Raven on the other hand....well; let's just say Terra wasn't going to spend too much money on Raven's Christmas present. Terra knew that having super powers sometimes made others hate you, she had experienced it first hand but Raven was over doing the sympathy vote with her 'I can't feel anything' persona.
To Terra it all seemed like a clever ploy for sympathy and she had been pleased to see that no one had fallen for it. Her brow creased into a frown. That was until Aqualad had arrived on the scene. The atlantian had fallen for the act, hook, line and sinker.
Terra would not, could not stand for this. She valued Aqualad as a good friend ever since Beast Boy had introduced them a few years back. He seemed like a good guy, but his willingness to help had landed him right in the middle of Raven's web.
The thought made Terra boil with anger. She would do everything in her immediate power to try and get Aqualad to see the error of her ways. He being with her obviously wasn't doing any good. That little stunt she had played by locking herself in her room...over dramatic and childish. In Terra's opinion anyway.
##Something just isn't right,
I can feel it inside,
The truth isn't far behind me,
You can't deny##
Over the past few years since she joined the titans Terra had tried to gain some sort of friendship with Raven. But it would have been more productive talking to a rock. Nothing she said even registered. Indifference had turned to rivalry and rivalry to hatred.
Terra shook her head to clear her thoughts once again reminding herself that she had more important things to focus on.
She turned in her seat and watched the green elf who had recently become her boyfriend. Already she was beginning to regret that decision. It wasn't as if she didn't care. In fact she might even love him but circumstances were beyond her control and fate was taking ample time in psychological torture.
For instance, Terra wasn't sure, only having one really bad boyfriend previously, but wasn't the significant other supposed to pay a lot of attention and lavish her with gifts? She had had to make allowances for the fact that it was Christmas and so gifts would have to wait and all, but still it annoyed her to find that her boyfriend was so much more interested in creating the 'perfect' Christmas tree rather than spending some quality time alone with her.
Maybe it was her, but she was slowly realising that Beast Boy wasn't ready for the type of relationship that she wanted to have.
##When I turn the lights out,
When I close my eyes,
Reality overcomes me,
I'm living a lie##
Terra shifted slightly trying to get comfortable in the sofa and watched Beast Boy fiddle with the flashing fairy lights. She didn't have anywhere else to go. There was no way in hell she was going to attempt communication with Raven, she wanted to survive until Christmas thank you very much, she didn't feel like working on the T-Car with Cyborg. She wasn't all keen on the titan's dependency on such transport. And she guessed that Robin and Starfire had gone off to somewhere a little more private.
She smoothed down the silky stands of her hair and tried to remember if Beast Boy had ever run his fingers through it. She could not recall such an event. She let her hands fall to her lap and she sighed.
"BB, are you finished yet?" she asked hopefully when he paused to view the lights.
Beast Boy turned and flashed her a grin, "Almost Babe. I just have to adjust the tinsel and hang up the novelty candy canes. Then I put the star on the top and I'm done!"
Terra's smile faded slightly. That would take ages. She sighed again, "Can we go out after that then?"
"Sure. Any particular place in mind?" he replied turning back to the tree with a length of sparkling silver tinsel clutched in his fingers.
"I was thinking that maybe we could go to the café we went to on our first date? Do you remember? We could get some pie and sit outside on the beach." Terra remembered her date fondly. It was then that she had realised what deep feelings she had for the changeling.
When she received no response she looked up. Beast Boy had his back to her and had his tongue sticking out of the side of his mouth in concentration as he fiddled around with the green fuzzy branches of the fur tree. Terra scowled.
##When I'm alone,
I feel so much better,
Than when I'm around you,
I don't feel...###
Did he even hear her? Or was he too wrapped up in his own Christmas wonderland. Terra was beginning to think that Maybe Beast Boy had lived in the North Pole at one time or another. He certainly had a fetish for the celebration and seemed to know more about Santa Clause that humanely possible.
Terra wondered if she was dating a psychotic.
Shaking her head she rose from her seat on the sofa and headed towards the kitchen. She was getting tired, which was strange seeing as she had slept in this morning. But her eyelids were beginning to droop, what she needed was a good jolt of caffeine to wake her up. Besides it wasn't as if Beast Boy would realise that she was missing.
She wiped sleep from her eye with the back of her fist and entered the kitchen. The temperature suddenly dropped by about twelve degrees. She looked up and saw the object of her earlier thoughts sat at the table. Terra's eyes narrowed. There was something different about her.
Raven's posture was different. Usually it was huddled and slightly withdrawn as if she was trying to make herself as small as possible. Her hands were normally clasped in front of her and her eyes were generally downcast.
The Raven she was faced with now was a lot different.
One elbow was resting straight on the table edge, the hand twirling a silver ring idly as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. The other arm was resting casually on the back of the chair. Raven's hood was down and her face was tilted back slightly her narrowed eyes watching the ring in her hand with morbid fascination. Her lips were curled up into a cocky smirk.
All this made Terra falter. This was too strange. And it was still cold. She shivered involuntarily. She was sure that Raven did not have the ability to tamper with the temperature.
Terra stared, mouth open.
Raven didn't move, her gaze didn't move.
##Together, it doesn't feel right at all,
Together, together we built a wall,
Together holding hands we'll fall,
Hands we'll fall##
Recovering from her quick bout of shock Terra drew herself up, "Raven."
Raven made no move.
Terra began to feel ticked off, "Raven are you even going to acknowledge my presence? This little charade you're pulling won't work with me you know!" she put her foot down; it was time to show the witch who was boss.
Raven chuckled darkly.
Terra froze, not because she actually got a response, which was a feat in itself, but because of the duality of Raven's voice. It was so un-Ravenish. Raven's voice echoed with a deadly voice that didn't even seem to be female. Terra was reminded of a scene from the exorcist.
"A charade?" chuckled Raven darkly finally raising her eyes to the blonde.
Unconsciously Terra took a small step back. She had witnessed Raven when she allowed her rage to control her and it wasn't pretty, however the look that shined deep in her eyes at the moment was the original rage amplified by ten. The dark red pupils were narrowed to cat like slits and they stared at her almost mockingly.
"A charade?" repeated Raven slowly getting to her feet in one fluid movement. Her dark blue cloak billowed backwards on an unseen wind. Terra's eyes widened as she saw black writhing tendrils lash out from the darkened recesses of Raven's shadow, "You think this is a charade?"
Terra swallowed and then told herself, reasonably, that Raven wouldn't really hurt her. She was probably just trying to amp up her intimidation.
##This has gone on too long,
I realise that I need,
Something good to rely on,
Something for me##
Terra gave Raven the best glare she could muster. It had little effect. "You don't scare me Raven!" she lied trying to make her voice sound a lot more confident than she actually was. "This s just a game you're playing with me!"
Raven laughed coldly, "Do you like playing?" she asked as the many tendrils curled backwards on themselves and forward in a mass of thrashing tentacles.
Terra forced herself to stand her ground, she may have been called inferior, may have been called a traitor but she would not allow herself to be called a coward.
"Hey Terra!" yelled Beast Boy from the other room.
Terra looked towards the source of the voice. When she turned back she was surprised to find herself all alone. She didn't know if she was relieved or not. True she doubted that she could defend herself against Raven when she was in that state but a part of her was angry for missing the chance to fight her. Her subconscious told her that raven was just being a coward for vanishing.
Terra smiled darkly, no one else had witnessed that, with that information she could, if she wanted to that is, completely turn the team against Raven. Someone with that amount of unstable power was surely a liability. Her smile grew, what a perfect opportunity to get her own back on the gothic witch.
## Together, it doesn't feel right at all,
Together, together we built a wall,
Together holding hands we'll fall,
Hands we'll fall##
"Terra!" yelled Beast Boy again.
"What?!" she yelled back turning back towards the living room. She swore that if he wanted her to look for a decoration he had misplaced it would be the end of his life. Sure, she loved Christmas as much as the next person, but Beast Boy was taking the meaning of Christmas Spirit to whole new extremes.
"Come here!"
Terra swore under her breath, she loved him, really but she hated be told what to do, she hated being ignored and she hated that he was ignorant to the things that she hated. "I'm coming!" she yelled back grabbing an apple from the nearby fruit bowl.
She walked into the room and was blown away, not literally, by the sheer brilliance of the tree. Flashing silver and gold lights looked like stars, the tinsel curled around the branches behind the lights, the reflections casting kaleidoscopic patterns on the walls. Candy canes and glittering spheres were hung at regular intervals. Two turtle doves were situated in the top most branches their white wings sweeping in huge arcs.
"Whoa..." was the only thing she could say, "What's with the birds?" she asked when she caught sight of them.
Beast Boy swelled with pride and grinned, "They're turtle doves, another tradition. The doves represent a promise made and as long as there are two of them, the promise can never be broken. Never."
Terra stared at him. He really did mean well.
##My heart is broken,
I'm lying here,
My thoughts are choking,
On you my dear,
On you my dear##
"Hey Terra. Do you wanna put the star up?" Beast Boy asked shyly handing her a large five pointed golf star.
Terra smiled back, "Yeah. I'd love to."
She took the star from him and stood up on her tip-toes. She reached forward. She felt Beast Boy's hands encircle her waist and she smiled inwardly. She leaned further forward and slid the base of the star over the top vertical branch of the tree.
They both stepped backwards to admire the, finally, completed tree.
"It's beautiful." Whispered Terra.
"Hmm, just like you." Murmured Beast Boy tightening his grip and kissing her neck.
Terra smiled to herself, she could turn Beast Boy against Raven easily, "Hey BB?"
"Yeah?"
"I need to talk to you."
"About what babe?"
Terra took a deep breath, this is it. The point she could never go back from. She was going to enjoy this. She supposed that she got her sadistic side from hanging around Slade for too long, "About Raven."
##When I'm around you,
When I'm around you,
I don't feel together, no,
I don't feel together##