Hello again, Sora here. I'm back with another chapter of Returning and with my deepest apologies for disappearing for awhile. Illnesses have afflicted me all month and put me in and out of the ER. I have been too exhausted to put my pen to paper or my fingers to their keyboard.
For those of you who follow my other piece, Love and Family, the next chapter is (finally) near completion. Expect it up in less than a week. Anyway, this chapter deals with a few more explanations and a plan.
This is still a Robin/Raven, Beastboy/Terra story. Please no flames on the pairing, all others are welcomed. Compliments and criticisms are both welcomed and encouraged, I do not know how to make a story better without someone giving me feedback.
I do not own the Teen Titans, but as long as there is fan fiction, I suppose I shall be content enough.
I'd better finish this note quick or it shall be longer than the writing! On with the story.
The next morning found both Terra and Raven far more awake, refreshed and stable than the previous night. Terra had risen in the late morning and found Raven in what was left of the dining room. "Where did you get that?" she inquired, gesturing toward the mug of tea in Raven's pale hands. "There's nothing edible in this tower, I'm sure of it."
"I brought it in my bag," Raven replied calmly.
"Any left?"
"On the stove. It's herbal, mind you, it's bitter."
"Well, something has to wake me up," Terra mumbled. "I ran out of coffee yesterday." Raven rolled her eyes as the earth mover went to the kitchen to procure her own cup of tea.
As soon as Terra returned to the table, the questioning tension came with her. It bit at the edges of Raven's empathy until the dark woman could no longer tolerate it. "Terra, I promise I'm not going to kill you. Please just ask what you need to ask me." Terra straightened.
"All right," she began slowly, "I'd kinda like to go to my question from last night. You ran away from here, but where did you go?" Raven sighed and gathered her thoughts.
"At first, I didn't get very far at all. Like I said, I had been injured in the fight with H.I.V.E. I had a gash across the right side of my torso and was bleeding pretty heavily. In the emotional state that I was in, I couldn't even call up my healing abilities. I suppose I got as far as the city limits before I passed out."
"God," Terra muttered. "What happened next?"
"Not a whole lot, really. An older gentleman found me and took me in. He and his wife and a third man took care of me. Once I was well enough, I enrolled in the local college and, four years later, graduated with my bachelor's degree in forensics. I did a little fighting on the side, but that's about it. A few days ago, I took leave of my new home to come here and you know the rest," Raven finished with a shrug.
"Sounds like a rather boring life for a former Titan," Terra remarked.
"After what happened near the end, I think I am glad for it," Raven returned.
"Do you ever miss it?"
"Miss what?" Raven asked.
"The fighting, the feeling of working a team, the victories; stuff like that." Terra elaborated. Raven frowned for a moment as though she were seriously contemplating how to deliver her answer.
"Sometimes, but for a long time, I just wanted to forget it all ever happened."
"Why?" Terra demanded. "Why would you want to forget them? They were wonderful people and you had some good times with them, I know you did."
"I'm not denying that," Raven soothed, "but I couldn't remember the good times without the bad times, and I just wasn't able to handle the pain."
"I understand," Terra said quietly, her momentary anger subsiding. She looked down into her mug of cooling tea and wrinkled her nose. Raven had been right, it was bitter.
"So," Raven began, "what about you? What have you been doing with your first three weeks back among the living?"
"I wish I could say that I had done something productive, but not really. After you essentially pulled a Frankenstein on me," Raven raised her eyebrow, but Terra continued, "I found the plaque you guys left for me. It was one of the prompts I had to come here. However, all I found was this ruin of a tower. I wasn't sure where else to go, so I stayed, got a job down at a local café and ultimately wondered just what the hell happened here." When she was finished speaking, Terra looked up into Raven's face. A lot of emotions were chasing each other across her pale visage. However, Raven's comment denied any of those emotions.
"I see" was all she said. Raven's reaction prompted a new question for Terra.
"Raven, did you ever wonder, or do you know, what happened to the other Titans after you guys split?" Raven shook her head.
"I don't know what happened to them."
"Did you ever wonder?" Terra pressed. Raven looked thoughtful.
"I suppose I did think about it from time to time, but I'm serious, I really shut a lot of that away from me during those years." Terra nodded in understanding, but she wasn't done yet.
"Do you wonder now?" Raven gave Terra a suspicious and searching look.
"Where is all of this leading?"
"Just answer the question," Terra insisted.
"Yes, I'll admit to being a little curious. Starfire left me a letter saying she was on Tamaran, but that's all I know."
"Are you curious enough to take a little adventure?"
"Now would be a really good time to tell me just exactly what is going through that twisted little mind of yours," Raven said flatly.
"Let's find out!" Terra said eagerly, "Let's find the Titans!"
"Excuse me?" Raven asked incredulously, "Was your mind addled when you were released? Have you forgotten the whole fight and eternal hatred thing? We just covered it last night."
"Five years is eternal enough," Terra chirped carelessly. A plan was falling into place and nothing could dampen her spirits. "It's high time we both found forgiveness." Raven found it hard to deny the last statement. She was still recalcitrant, though.
"Where do you propose we start? It's a big world and we don't have a starting point," Raven explained.
"That's not true," Terra countered. "We've been given a perfect starting place."
"Care to enlighten me?"
"You said it yourself; Starfire is on Tamaran."
"Oh no, you're not suggesting…" Terra cut Raven off.
"Pack your bags Ms. Doom and Gloom! We're taking a trip to space!" Terra's almost manic smile was the last ting Raven saw before she proceeded to bash her head into the table.
Well, now, there you have it. Chapter Three of Returning. I hope you have enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Thank you again for being so patient with me. Until next time! Sora out.
