Disclaimer TEEN TITANS and all other related characters and material are the property of DC comics and Cartoon Network, I claim no ownership.

Chapter 21: Shades of Gray

By: Ansa

"Oh my god, Susan…what were you thinking?" Starfire turned her attention to the voice coming from behind changing room curtain. Her hands hanging on the rose colored bridemaid's dress, one of the many she and Susan had eyed while Raven tried on wedding gowns. She was quite surprised at how easily they had gotten to work today, after the distractive discussions yesterday and the unseen events of last night, she assumed Susan would have something to say on the subject. Even she had to admit she was the least bit curious. By the time she had gotten home the moon hung high in the sky, the highest it ever rose before sinking back into the horizon. The apartment was quiet and dark, the door to the bedroom closed offering no clue as to what had transpired that night.

"Oh come on it can't be that bad." Susan grimaced, her taste in wedding gowns at question. Before she could even challenge the accusation the curtains rustled and birthed out Raven, with a rather sour look on her face.

"I look like a doily." Holding her arms out, she looked down at herself in disgust. Indeed, the dress did bear a striking resemblance to something you would find under a tea cup in the old Victorian homes. Lace seemed the wrap itself everywhere possible, the fabric thicker than most, making it quite heavy to adorn. Starfire held back a snicker, not quite sure what a doily was exactly, but agreeing with the fact that she did look rather ridiculous as one.

"Yeesh, maybe you're right about this one." Susan was surprised at her own disapproval in the gown; after all she handpicked it herself. On the rack it didn't seem so bad, traditional and elegant. She could only hope that she hadn't lost her touch. "Here, try this one." Turning away just for the moment she quickly returned with a new gown, the top of a rather large pile she had set aside.

"Thank you…" Raven immediately grabbed hold of the dress and raced back into the dressing room, frantic rustling filled their ears as she struggled to free herself from the "Lacey Menace."

"So how did things go last night?"

"…" There was a definite pause in the rustling as Raven hung her head and cursed under her breath. She had managed to get through most of the day without this being brought up. Dammit, only a few hours more and she would have free, but no.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Did you show him the goods or what?"

"You're not very subtle are you?"

"Not really, but you should know that by now."

Starfire kept her spot near the bridesmaid's dresses, trying to listen in as best she could without giving herself away. Meanwhile Susan had stopped her own searching and leaned up against on of the mirrors by the curtains.

"So did you or what?"

"What is it with you and the lace? I think we've concluded that lace is a definite 'no' from now on." Raven tossed the new dress over the edge of the curtain, half seriously and half trying to change the subject despite how futile she knew it was.

"Ok no lace, try this." Just as quickly as she had with all the others, Susan took away the rejected gown and replaced it with a fresh one, barely missing a beat before leaning back against the mirror. "So what did you do, just flash him or did you make a night out of it?"

"Ugh…" Raven let her head fall against one of the walls in the small changing cubicle. As much as she wanted to, as much as she wanted to keep what happened last night between them, there was no avoiding it. "We…took a shower together ok? Now can we please drop it? I'd like to get a dress picked out before the actual wedding."

"A shower? Damn girl, you stepped things up didn't you?" Susan smiled, and Starfire blushed, the image of her two friends together in the shower dancing around in her head. No matter how much she tried to fend it off it came back. She was curious before, but now no longer. "So did anything explode or what?"

"…A shampoo bottle." Susan and Starfire laughed, and even Raven was surprise to find herself smiling slightly even if she wasn't laughing she now did see it as quite amusing. At the time she was absolutely embarrassed at herself, and felt somewhat a failure even though she knew full well it was going to happen. No way could she have avoided her powers going haywire, not on the first time. Now, she could look back with relieve and see what little humor there was to be had in it.

"Other than that I can assume things went fairly well?"

"…Yeah…actually, they did." Raven smiled at herself, slowly slipping her fingers into the silky smooth gloves that came with the dress, reaching almost up to her elbow. Other than that one fault, last night was perfect. Being so close to him, closer than ever before, feeling his soft skin against hers as they curled up between the sheets together, it all was just so perfect. She was glad she did it, and now she wasn't so nervous about taking that next step…becoming one with him.

"Did you see his thing?" Suddenly Susan's head popped through the curtains and broke into her thoughts. A vicious grin on her face as she leaned in, whispering slightly so that anyone else that might be near would not hear. That is everyone but Starfire, who not only heard it, but wish she hadn't.

"SUSAN!" Raven's face turned a bright red and she could only sink back against the wall of the changing room. Blushing half because she wasn't fully covered, and half because of the question itself. Immediately images from last night rushed into her head, images that only made her blush even more and the lights flicker, her powers reminding her of their presence.

"Hehe what?"

"Why would you ask me that?" Susan only grinned back, a sweat drop forming on Raven's forehead.

"Was he big?"

"Um…I do not believe that is something I wish to know." Starfire finally spoke up sheepishly, her face also cursed with the red flush. She wasn't trying to eavesdrop, especially not on this sort of thing, she just happened to be in earshot.

"Then cover your ears, cause I do." Susan grinned her playful grin at the poor alien girl before turning her attention back to Raven, still quite stunned. "Well girl, fess up."

Raven's mind raced around in several different directions, trying to find a way out but only found roadblock after roadblock. She was trapped, but rather than feeling scared like she usually did in these sorts of situations, she felt a growing sense of frustration, even anger. What Susan was doing, was cheapening that moment they had together, cheapening that bliss, that purity, that touch…and she hated her for it. She tried to hold it back as best she can, but being trapped the way she was didn't exactly help her in this. It made her feelings only intensify, like a wild animal cornered in a cage. This very metaphor played out in her own head, and she knew what came next. Despite all attempts at restraint, she bared her claws.

"That's it!" Susan was pushed back, nearly losing balance while Raven rushed out of the curtains, using the loose parts of the dress to cover herself. "None of that is any of your business. Nothing you forced me to tell you ever were, and it's going to end here. What happens between me and my fiancé is ours and no one else's. You are not going to cheapen that time together, and damn you for trying!"

Starfire stood, stunned at what unfolded before her. She had never seen that kind of anger in her friend for years now, not since the Titans were still together. Dare she say, since Trigon was defeated? Raven herself stood, almost towering over Susan, her eyes glowing the faintest trace of red. Looking around it was clear that the rest of the store had heard her, and were pretending like they hadn't, nervously going about their business doing their best to not look over. For what seemed like the longest time Susan just stood there, slouched slightly in her place between dresses on rack. Her face was hard to read, whether it was shock or fear that shone through she couldn't tell.

"S-sorry. No need to go Mt. St. Helens on me." She blinked, her eyes widening slightly noticing a slight red glow, the same as her eyes appearing on her forehead. "Soma…w-what's wrong with your eyes?" Susan had known about her friend's powers for some time now, and not once did she ever feel threatened by them…not until now. Starfire saw it was well and immediately rushed to Raven's side, doing her best to calm her.

She didn't need to, Raven was already quite aware of what was happening, the reflection of the second pair of glowing eyes staring back at her through the steel of the clothing rack on which Susan was leaning. Those red glowing eyes…so much like her father it scared her, and immediately sent her reeling back. She was given a brutal reminder of what she was, what she always hated.

"…N-nothing…" Raven turned away, her heart beating so hard it hurt. She had lost her temper, something she swore she would never do, because it reminder her too much of her father. Someone she would never become. "I'm sorry for yelling…" After reassuring Starfire she retreated back behind the curtains. She waited a few moments for her heart to slow down before slowly continuing her work on putting on the gown, something to which she had paid very little attention to.

"Well..um…anyways…" Susan stood up, trying to gather herself, giving those who couldn't help but stare a glance that send them back to their business. "How are those gloves working for you? If you don't like them you don't necessarily have to wear them."

"Hmm?" Raven had zipped up the dress a few moments ago, but hadn't bothered to look into the mirror yet, her mind still on what had just happened. She quickly shook it off, or at least she would like to think she did. For the rest of the day it would stay with her, its grip firm and fast, despite everything that would happen. Even if it was just in the back of her mind, it was still there.

Finally she brought her eyes to the mirror and felt a chill run down her back, but not the bad kind. No, this was the kind of chill one would get when watching a sappy movie, or when holding hands with their lover for the first time. This was the kind of chill that made her quite speechless, but nevertheless, equally happy. The image that reflected back at her seemed to glow with an inexplicable energy and beauty, something she had never experienced before in her life. What made things even more amazing to her, was the knowledge that this was her own reflection.

The dress, that she had just now gotten a good look at was mostly white, the white of newly fallen snow, pure and perfect. It had no sleeves, bur rather straps that hung just below her shoulders. These were light as a feather and quite smooth for they were made of some material that closely resembled silk. The rest of the dress was made of the same material, and was mostly white with a grayish trim. The skirt hung full, yet still quite light, and made of a slightly courser material, yet still quite smooth to the touch. The gloves slid on perfectly, fitting almost up to her elbow, yet allowing enough room for her to move comfortably. It was perfect, absolutely perfect. Nothing she could ever dream of could ever come close, and yet she felt there was something missing. Looking around the small cubical she found a piece of white fabric forgotten on the floor, perhaps slipping off of the hanger.

Picking it up she could see that this choker was not just the fabric. On the front of it, or what she could only assume to be the front, hung a fake plastic flower. She cringed at it, looking quite tacky as it hung in place with even more fake looking baby's breath around it. So close to being perfect…and yet, on closer inspection she let out a sigh of relieve. The flower and baby's breath was not attached permanently, instead, it was held in place by a small clip. More than likely this was just a sample, the clip allowing a real flower to be set in place at the wedding date.

"Hello, you still with us?"

"Yeah…" Raven shook her head slightly, still smiling as she broke the gaze she had with the choker and carefully slipped it on around her slender neck. Once again she turned to look at herself in the mirror, the image smiling back at her more beautiful and perfect than anything she had ever known could exist. This was it; this was the dress she would wear when she joined lives with the one she loved. This was her wedding gown.

"Well then how's the dre-…" Susan's voice trailed off into an unseen void when she turned to see the angel before her stepping out from behind the curtain. Her eyes were filled with this white glow that didn't necessarily come from the dress, but perhaps from Raven herself. Next to her Starfire was just as awestruck, her eyes growing large and misty. She wasn't exactly sure why her eyes were doing this; all she did know was that seeing her friend so happy, looking so complete in this white gown draping off her body…made her heart grow warm in her chest.

"What do you think?"

"It's…perfect."

Raven tossed her keys aside quickly, not really caring or watching where they fell. This of course would cost her a few minutes of searching later, as well as glass of water that was knocked off of the table and shattered. But she would deal with that later, right now, she needed to see him, and tell him how perfectly her day had ended. Of course she did not have the dress with her, and even if it didn't need to be ordered and fitted specifically for her she wouldn't have anyways. Despite her lack of belief in any sort of religion, she would rather like to keep some traditions of a wedding alive, such as not having the groom see her in her dress before the big moment. Starfire smiled, quite enjoying the look of a smile on her friends face, and found a spot on the couch to relax for a moment.

It was quite clear to Raven from the moment she walked into the door that he wasn't in the living room or kitchen. No evidence of anyone of any kind, little own her fiancé, existed in either room. Thus, this left only two more rooms to check, but she only had to check one. Once she stepped into the bedroom she saw him by the dresser, buttoning up a nice white dress shirt. Normally she wasn't one to be cute or mushy, or anything of that sort. Today, or at for the moment, she really didn't care. Quickly she rushed up behind him and threw her arms around tight, planting her lips softly against his cheek.

"Hey, hun."

Beast Boy was taken aback for a moment, quite surprised at this sudden and extremely out of character move for her. Rather than question it however, he decided to enjoy it while it lasted, even on such a day as this.

"Well you seem to be in a good mood. How did the shopping go?"

"Perfect." She smiled again, and turned him around her lips could meet his, her left hand moving up to his cheek, caressing it softly. Pulling back however, she finally gave notice to what he was wearing. Black dress pants, white collared shirt, and rather old looking dress shoes, black of course to match his pants. This of course was quite different from his normal attire of a t-shirt and jeans, and even on that rare occasion that he went to see Mr. Wayne, he never got this spiffed up.

"What are you all dressed up for?"

"Hmm? Oh, hun, it's the 15th remember?"

Raven had to think for a moment before the date finally gained recognition before. The fifteenth of June, of course, how could she have forgotten? Every year since they have been together, she had noticed that the fifteenth of June held some kind of importance to him. Every year, usually around two in the afternoon he would get dressed up, and go out until five. She never really knew exactly what he did, or where he went, but nor did she question him about it. She had always figured if he wanted her to know, he would tell her. Now that they were engaged, she no longer thought this way, and decided to ask.

"Oh right, where do you go exactly anyways?"

Beast Boy looked at her for a moment, looking somewhat surprised at this question but not completely. Truth was he had known it was coming, he just didn't think it would be now. He had thought about asking her to come with him a couple of times, but ultimately decided against it for one reason or another. The main reason was his own feeling of uncertainty, uncertainty of the future. Even now, he had decided not to ask her to come for one reason only, it was the day she was choosing her wedding dress. That was something he didn't want to disrupt, but now that she was here, and she was asking, he might as well answer.

"I guess…I guess it's about time I took you with me huh?"

"Where exactly?"

"…To meet my parents."

Reporting Live from College Hey yall, I'm back and I'm at it again. This chapter was hard to finish simply because of all my damn Art History reading I had to do. If it wasn't for my brain being fried it would have been done sooner. So I have made a schedual as to when I will most likely have time to write so you know if I don't update in a while its cause of school. MWF I will have at least a few hours to write if not most of the day. TR (RThursdays for non-college folk) I won't have any time to write due to classes all day and games and such. And the weekends all depend on how much work I have to do, but most likely I'll be able to do some writing. Alright, well, hope you like this chapter and until next time…Later days!

ANSA