Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans or Beauty and the Beast

Author's note: Thank you to all reviewers! Please keep reading! Enjoy Chapter Seven…

Chapter Seven:

Raven turned and looked around the large dark entrance hall. A cold empty feeling swept over her as she heard the car drive away.

I have no one left, she said to her self; she could feel a familiar sensation welling up in her chest. She shivered, and pulled up her hood.

Speedy looked at the blue column standing motionless in the center of the hall. His mind was having a hard time grasping what had just occurred, but maybe, just maybe it had all happened for a reason. He turned to the Beast,

"Master," he said tapping him on the shoulder, the Beast flinched and turned toward him,

"What!" he said in an agitated tone,

"Since the girl is going to be staying here for quite some time, I was thinking you might…ah...want to offer her ah…a more comfortable room…" Speedy left his question hanging in the air. The Beast grunted and swept past him, Speedy frowned sadly after him. Seeing his dear friend like this troubled him. It got so much worse when people were around. Sometimes, when it was just himself, Aqua lad, Kori, BumbleBee and the Beast, it was almost like it was back then, but that didn't happen often. And now it might never happen again, but if the girl was who he suspected she might be…

The Beast approached Raven; she turned around as he reached her, he saw her arms were warped tightly around herself as if she was trying to prevent herself from breaking.

"All we had was each other, and now…" she mumbled under her breath, the Beast reached a paw out slowly as if to comfort her, but thought better of it and turned away with a softened expression on his face.

"I'll show you to your room." Was all he said, as he began walking towards the grand stairs. Raven turned to see him heading in the exact opposite of the dungeons,

"My room?" Raven said looking up, with a surprised expression on her face." But I thought…" She said weakly, eyeing the door down to the dungeons. The Beast's eyes narrowed in anger,

"What? You want to stay in the dungeon!"

"No" Raven said flatly, holding her chin up, showing she was not afraid of him. The Beast scowled and turned around in a huff and began walking up the stairs with Speedy coming up beside him. Raven pushed her cape back and followed fearlessly,

As they walked the halls, Raven took time to observe the castle. There were no lights except the occasional torch that hung in hideous gargoyle statues' grasps. The flames cast shadows on the other strange statues and paintings that hung on the walls. Everything was dark and threatening. Cobwebs hung everywhere, and there was a thick dust on all the furniture.

"Scared?" Speedy asked her softly. "The place is a bit gloomy…"

"No" Raven answered truthfully. Her surroundings intrigued her; she found comfort in looking at them, because they kept her mind off of the loss of her family. Speedy gave her a look and then walked back up next to the Beast.

"Say something to her" he whispered to the Beast, making sure that the girl couldn't hear him. The Beast glowered at him, looked over his shoulder at Raven and said,

"Ah…I hope you like it here…." Raven just stared at him. Speedy nudged him on to continue.

"Ah… "He searched for something to say, "The castle is your home now so you can go anywhere you like, except the West wing."

"What is in the west wing?" Raven asked her eyes lit with curiosity. The Beast looked back at her, his temper unleashed.

"It's forbidden," he shouted at her with such rage her cloak blew back, and all the torches went out. He stared at her, his eyes wild, Raven looked completely unperturbed, which made him even angrier. He turned around in a huff and continued walking. Speedy stared at her, impressed with her reaction. The three of them finished their walk in silence. After a while they reached a pair of large wooden doors. The Beast seemed to have be using a great deal of self control to speak to her in a polite manner as he opened the doors,

"Now if you need anything, my servants will attend you," he said gruffly. Raven nodded solemnly as she stepped into the dimly lit room, looking around.

"Ask her to dinner." Speedy said very quietly to the Beast. The Beast turned to Raven. She turned glaring defiantly at him and he lost his temper again,

"You will join me for dinner, that is not a request!" he shouted.

"What!" she said her voice raised, glaring at him. He glared back and then, slammed the door in her face. He stalked away in an angry huff. Speedy looked back and forth between the two of them, and sighed. Maybe he had been wrong after all…. he sighed and followed the Beast.

Raven stood fuming at her door.

"The nerve!" she said angrily. There was a bang behind her; she turned to find a shattered vase. She sighed and walked over to her bed. She climbed up on it and crossed her legs. She closed her eyes and began to meditate. She sat, hovering over her sheets as the wind howled out side her window, and snow began to fall.

Winter was coming to the village as well. Snow fell on the little cottage by the river, whose occupants were just as glum as the weather. Robin sat at the table playing with his food.

"You don't like your waffles?" Victor asked him as the waffle iron let out a beep. Victor turned to take out another set of waffles from the iron as Robin answered,

"I just don't have much of an appetite tonight…" he stared at his plate, neither of them talked for a while, then suddenly Robin spoke, "Raven loved waffles…"

"More than life itself" Victor added pouring syrup on his stack. Childish grins spread on both their faces as they got lost in their memories. Suddenly Robin shook his head; he stood up looking horrified at himself.

"How can we be sitting here having a cheerful dinner at a time like this!" Robin shouted. Robin clenched and unclenched his fists, as if wanting very badly to punch something. Victor looked at him startled and then back down at his plate, his expression a little guilty. How could he be sitting here, smiling when Raven was locked up in that place, with that thing! But there was nothing they could do. Victor stole a look at his younger brother whom stood heaving behind his chair. Victor knew it was killing Robin that he couldn't do anything for Raven. God knew it was killing him too. They had tried everything to get back through the gate, but finally they had turned away. Well, Victor had to drag Robin away. Staying there all night would not do anything, they had to go home and regroup, Victor had patiently explained to a raving Robin, who after a while saw the sense in this. Robin had been silent, brooding the whole ride home. Now he was ready to do something. Victor gave an exasperated sigh as he watched Robin begin to draw up plans. Then he smiled to himself, hope like that was contagious.

In the village tavern someone else also was beginning to form a plan. Adonis sat in a large armchair by the tavern's fire. Everyone stayed clear of him, knowing him to be in a bad mood. He scratched his head, thinking was not something he did very often and he was having a hard time of it. Everything he had tried to woe Raven had not worked, he needed a new approach. He tried to think of everything he knew about her, which wasn't much. He knew she lived across the river with her brothers, and that ugly dog. She didn't care for the villagers, and didn't come into town much. When she did it was to get food or go to the bookshop. He racked his brain for things she like, the color blue he supposed be cause her cloak was always blue, she also liked to read, something he would never understand, and she liked her brothers. Yes that was it; she loved her brothers, they were her weakness, she would do anything to keep her brothers' safe, even marry Adonis. A smirk crossed his face as he ran the plan over in his head a few times. He had an idea on how to get Raven to marry him and Robin and Victor would be the key. Much to their misfortune.