Ok, so a quick note about Chapter 1. As much as I enjoyed "Things Change," and I really did, I was a little upset that I didn't get to see that creature get beaten good. Now, the way the episode ended does have a lovely artistic style to it, but still, I felt like I was missing something. I was like, "Come on! Gimme more fighting!" And that's why I wrote the first chapter; it was pretty much closure to the last episode.

Now this is when my story really begins. Unfortunately, there isn't any action in this chapter, but it's a very important one, especially for Raven and her emotions. For a guy who's never been quite good at writing romance and fluff stuff, I'm exceptionally pleased with how this chapter turned out. And I think all of you will be too.

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"Is he still in there?" Cyborg asked.

"He has not come out since we returned home last night," Starfire replied. "He has been more quiet than a snuvian glindo."

"That isn't like him." Raven was leaning against one of the walls in the long corridor leading to Beast Boy's room, her arms crossed.

"Maybe someone should go check on him," Cyborg said.

"He just needs time, that's all," Robin remarked. "You guys remember what he was like when he found out she was Slade's apprentice. He curled up in Terra's room and didn't come out for a day."

"So, what do y'all think happened?" Cyborg asked.

"Does it matter?" Raven riposted. "Whatever it was upset him. Deeply."

"It might still be important to find out," Robin commented. "But we won't have any idea until he's had some time to himself."

Starfire folded her hands behind her back. "Does he require the space?"

"Seems like the best thing for him," Cyborg responded. "I'm starving anyways. It's definitely time for lunch."

"Good idea, Cyborg. We could all use a good meal," Robin said.

"Might you make waffles?" Starfire asked, turning away from Beast Boy's room with Cyborg and Robin. "I have been having the craving."

Robin stopped after several steps and looked back at Raven, letting Cyborg and Starfire continue on. "You coming?"

"Maybe later," she answered. "I think I might just go read."

"Everything okay with you?" Robin inquired.

She nodded, feeling strands of her purple hair brush against her cheek. "Everything's fine."

"You want me to put some herbal tea on for you in a little while?"

Raven smiled. "Thanks, Robin."

Returning the smile, Robin jogged away, catching up with Cyborg and Starfire as they rounded a corner down the hallway. Raven stood still for a few moments, feeling her shoulders rise and fall as she took several deep breaths in. She knew Beast Boy wanted to be alone, and that he probably needed to be alone. Other than uncaringly asking about Cyborg, he had not said a word to anyone since running off to find Terra. Raven did not need her mental abilities to realize something had hurt Beast Boy emotionally, and she more than anyone knew the benefits of locking yourself away from others. Raven certainly did not want to upset him more than he obviously was already, but she also cared about him enough to make an effort to comfort him.

The scars from Malchior's betrayal would not have healed as quickly were it not for Beast Boy and his caring words. Raven knew he had feelings for her tucked away beneath his sarcastic exterior, and she for him. But her feelings were confusing at the best of times. Robin was everything Raven could want, and together they shared a special bond, a tremendous mental connection, which was the direct result of Raven putting herself into Robin's mind. Beast Boy was something…different.

Despite their insults towards one another, despite the arguments and bitter disputes, they also shared something, though Raven was not nearly so sure what it was. Raven did not truly know what existed between them, or even if something beyond what they had already could exist, but she was willing to walk into his room and help him however she could.

As Raven's shoes gently touched the cold floor, she began to wonder if she was doing the right thing, if Beast Boy would appreciate her effort, or if he was even in the mood to talk with anyone. Raven was certainly unsure about her feelings, both for Robin and for Beast Boy, but that was not going to stop her from trying to console him.

She took one last deep breath outside Beast Boy's door and then reached up, placidly knocking with her knuckles. After a long silence she slid the door open, standing at the entrance for a moment. Beast Boy was across the room from her, lying on the bottom bunk of his bed, his back toward her. When Beast Boy said nothing, Raven slowly came forward, putting her right foot down into a small pile of dirty socks. She rolled her eyes and quietly shook them off her shoe, knowing it was not the time to make a joke—not that she was ever good at making jokes anyways. Avoiding more dirty laundry, Raven covered the rest of the distance to Beast Boy's bed, stopping close to it.

"Beast Boy?" she timidly asked.

Letting out a sorrowful sigh, Beast Boy did not speak.

"You want to talk about something?" Raven asked. She shifted her weight and put one hand on her hip, trying to distract herself from the knots in her stomach. Beast Boy's ribcage was rising and falling in a rhythmic motion, his deep breathing remaining steady. "What happened with Terra? Did you talk to her?"

The silence was beginning to unnerve Raven, making her nervousness grow to discomfort. There was something uneasy about trying to talk to him, an unsettling feeling in the air. Beast Boy's emotions were clear, but for the moment Raven tried not to wear her own emotions on her sleeve. Thoughts and feelings were racing through her mind, and she closed her eyes for several seconds simply to steady herself. "It might be good for you to talk about it."

"She said things were never the way I remembered, that the girl I want her to be is just a memory. She told me to leave her alone."

"Terra doesn't remember, or was it not her?"

"Please leave."

"I'm not trying to pry, Beast Boy. I just want to talk. You don't have to sit here—you have friends who care about you."

"Just go away."

That was all Beast Boy whispered, but those three simple words cut deeply into Raven, striking her hard and reverberating throughout her entire body. It came to her as painfully as a solid punch to her stomach, knocking the wind out of her all the same. "Are, are you sure you don't want to talk about it?" Raven stuttered.

"Go away."

Raven lowered her head in defeat and silently turned away from Beast Boy, slowly walking back out into the hallway and hearing a quiet whoosh as Beast Boy's door closed behind her. She was glad his back had been facing her, as tears were welling up in her eyes. Fighting them back, she would not let herself cry. Raven did not know how to feel, so confused by what was happening.

They had given Terra everything she could ever want—a home, her own room, their friendship. Still she betrayed them to Slade, turning her back on the Titans after they had welcomed her with open arms. Despite this Beast Boy loved her and was willing to push Raven aside at the slightest chance of Terra coming back. Even at the beginning of their tumultuous relationship, when Raven and Beast Boy represented the epitome of a bad relationship, she still risked her own life to save his. Yet that meant nothing to him.

Raven had been an outsider for nearly her entire life, but even this rejection came as a shock. She had always despised Terra, her suspicion and reluctance proving accurate. Even fearing what Terra could become, Raven had not objected to Beast Boy's insistence that she be allowed to join the Titans. He could barely acknowledge her when Terra was around, and nothing seems to have changed. Raven fought alongside him, saved his life and reached out to him, but Beast Boy still chose the floozy who lied to them, opened the Tower to attack from Slade's army and then rejected him, refusing to admit the existence of their past.

She was furious. Controlling her emotions was paramount, but Raven allowed herself a moment of anger and frustration. Raven sought only to comfort him, but he lay there bewailing Terra, and Raven was not going to play runner up to some pseudo-relationship between Beast Boy and Terra.

She reached up, wiping away the tears in her eyes with her sleeve. Terra had sold out her friends on a whim and tried to kill all of them. As near as Raven could tell, the only reason for this heinous and cowardly reversal was because Terra believed Beast Boy himself had betrayed her confidence by informing Robin about her lack of control. When Terra returned, she feigned friendship to gain access to the Tower and their weaknesses, and nearly eradicated them, feeding on a twisted sense of pleasure during the attacks. As Raven was pulled under the muddy water in that facility, Terra had a sadistic smile on her face. No measure of remorse, no level of redemption could ever erase the memory of Terra that Raven held in her mind. When she thought of that weak, pathetic girl, it was only a dark smile that Raven saw.

And yet it was her that Beast Boy was in love with! Raven clenched her teeth, squeezed her fingers together into a tight fist and pounded on the wall beside her, feeling a sharp jolt of pain shoot up her arm. Emotional outbursts were uncharacteristic of Raven, but Terra had always brought out the worst in her. Ignoring the intense burning in her knuckles, Raven raised her head upwards, opened her mouth and pulled a large gulp of air down into her lungs, deeply exhaling after a moment, in an attempt to calm herself. She stared at her bloodshot hand, tenderly moving the fingers.

"I need to meditate," she whispered to herself. Anger was far too dangerous an emotion if left uncontrolled. Devastating in its power and destruction, unbridled rage was something Raven could not afford to feel, regardless of the circumstances. Trying times like these truly tested Raven's self control, and she always came out the stronger for it. This time would be no different from the others; she would calm herself through meditation. As to how this might permanently affect their relationship, Raven did not want to hazard a guess.

Stopping in front of her room, Raven slid the door open and tossed her cloak onto her desk as she entered, kicking up a light puff of dust when it fell on several books she had not moved in days. The sheets rustled from a light gust of wind as Raven flew over her bed. Once above it she crossed her legs and gently wafted up and down in the air, closing her eyes after taking a deep breath.

Steadily the world around her peeled away, leaving only a pleasant, black void, and Raven finally felt at peace.

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So that was my emotional chapter. Hope it didn't put any of you off who were hoping for more action. Have no fear though – chapter 3 will be full of action!

And now for some review responses for those who were kind enough to review my first chapter:

robraefan – You are my first official reviewer, and that means I'll love you forever. Thanks for the wonderful words of encouragement, and I'm thrilled you enjoyed chapter 1 so much. I didn't think I'd be called a wonderful writer so soon. You made my day.

Moving Mountains – Yeah, I knew it was you right away, Hollie. No worries. Glad you loved the descriptive action stuff. But I hoped you also enjoyed the emotional stuff this chapter. And this is certainly not a one-shot (which is probably obvious, since you've already read chapter 2).

Z Star the Hidden Dragon – I'm pleased you also liked the action stuff. It's really what I do best. And, um, we already talked a few times, so I don't know what else to put here. Hope you don't feel shafted because your response is a little shorter.