AN: Nope, no ownership yet… deal with it

Tell Me Why

Beast Boy lay on his top bunk, looking at the ceiling. He had been home for about an hour and had told his friends about Ravens big news. They were all shocked to hear this, but they were happy for her. They called her grandparents' house, but found that she had left and was coming home. Beast Boy didn't care. He didn't want to see her. If he ever saw her again he'd feel his heart break.

Raven arrived home and made sure to look like she was happy and not being torn up inside. None of her friends knew how she felt about Beast Boy, nor did they know how he felt about her. They had never given them a reason to think that they cared for each other in a way that beyond friendship.

"Oh, Raven, I am so very happy for you!" said Starfire, wrapping her arms around her friend.

"So, when do we get to meet this Paul guy?" asked Cyborg. "He must be some Casanova to have won you."

"I'm sure you'll meet him at the wedding," said Raven with a fake smile.

"I can't believe you came all the way back here," said Robin. "And I can't believe you didn't bring your fiancé with you."

"I just wanted to tell you guys and come home one last time," said Raven.

"One last time?" asked Cyborg.

"Raven, you are leaving us?" asked Starfire.

"Well, I've got a lot of work and preparations for the wedding," said Raven. "And my grandparents want me to stay with them until the wedding. I'm going to have to leave the Titans."

"You don't have to leave the Titans," said Robin. "We'll just station you in Gotham."

"Yeah, I'm sure Batman could use the help," Cyborg chuckled.

"No, you don't understand," said Raven. "I can't be a Titan anymore. My family doesn't want me to be, so I'm quitting."

"Oh," said Robin. "Well, if that's what you really want."

"But I shall miss you!" said Starfire, clasping her hands and tears glistening in her eyes.

"It's not like we'll never see each other again," said Raven, comfortingly. "I'll still come to visit you, I'll just be bringing my… husband with me."

"Whoa, that sounds weird," said Cyborg.

"Yeah, tell me about it," said Raven. "Where's Beast Boy?"

"He's in his room as far as I know," said Robin.

"Good, I need to speak to him," said Raven.

Once she was away from her friends her happy disposition disappeared and she became depressed. She dreaded having to talk to Beast Boy, she knew he was going to be upset. She reached his door and knocked upon it.

"I'm tired, guys, I really don't wanna do anything," he said.

"Beast Boy, it's me," she said.

It went silent for a few seconds. "What are you doing here?" he spat. "I would think you'd want to be with your new fiancé."

"No, I want to be with you," said Raven.

She waited and the door opened and he stood there, looking quite tired. She saw that his eyes were red and she guessed he must have been crying recently. She prayed she wasn't the cause of it, but she knew she was.

"Why would you want to be with me?" he asked. "I'm just your friend, remember?"

"You're not just a friend," said Raven, shaking her head. "You know that."

"No, I don't," said Beast Boy.

A silence grew between them and the tension only fueled the air and gave way to a sickening feeling in their stomachs. Finally, Raven couldn't take it any longer. She needed to know how he felt.

"Beast Boy, I care very much for you," she sighed. "And I know that you're not very supportive of this marriage. I just need to know why."

Beast Boy thought and tried to sort out his mind. "Just… don't get married," he said softly.

"Why?" she asked. "Why not?"

"Cuz… I don't want you to," he said.

"Beast Boy, that's not a good enough reason," said Raven, pressing him on. "Now, why don't you want me to marry Paul?"

"Cuz he's a goody too shoes poser," he growled.

"Fine, why don't you want me to get married at all?" she asked.

Beast Boy's fang bit into his upper lip. Why couldn't he just come out and say it? Why was this so hard? "I just… I don't want you to," he said again.

"That's not good enough," said Raven, frustrated. She needed to hear him say it. If he could say it then she would never go back to Gotham. He just needed to say it. "You need to tell me why you don't want me to." 'Just give me a good reason and I'll call off the wedding,' she thought.

He looked into her eyes and saw that there was something odd in them. It almost looked like she was pleading for him to say it. Like she only needed this one thing and then she would stop this madness. Beast Boy opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He closed it and sighed, looking the ground. He couldn't do it. He couldn't say it. What if she didn't feel the same way? What if this was all some sort of game she was playing? Or her grandparents were playing through her? He couldn't take that chance. So he just stood there, silent.

Raven saw him completely shut down. He wasn't going to say it. He wasn't going to say anything. She looked down and gave a soft laugh. "That's what I thought," she said in a tearful voice. And with that she turned and walked down the hall.

She turned into her room and slid her door shut. She began to cry again and this made her already raw eyes sting from the tears. She gave herself a few minutes to recover, then began to pack everything she owned. She would move in with her grandparents until the wedding. She was done with the Titans. She was done with him. If he had really didn't want her to marry, then he would have said something. She gave him the chance.

Once she was packed she decided to spend a little more time with her friends. Beast Boy stayed in his room the whole time. And she could care less. If he wasn't happy it was his own fault.

"So, when do ya think you're gonna have the weddin?" asked Cyborg.

"I don't know," said Raven, shrugging. "I've only been engaged for a few hours."

"But it's going to be in Gotham?" asked Robin.

"Most likely, since that's where we live," said Raven.

"Oh, Raven, I can not believe you are leaving us and are getting married," said Starfire. "I shall miss you so much. Shall I keep a book of scraps again?"

"No, that won't be necessary," said Raven with a small smile. "I'm not disappearing, I'm just moving to the other side of the country."

"And you're not gonna be a Titan anymore," Cyborg added.

Ravens small smile faded and she sighed. "No, I'm not," she said. "I'm not sure what I'm going to do with myself."

"I'm sure you'll get a job or something," said Robin.

"I'll have to until Paul's book really takes off," said Raven.

"Do you think it will be popular?" asked Starfire.

"I've read it and I think it's great," said Raven. "It's very smart and beautifully written. I'm pretty sure it'll make it to the top of the charts soon."

"We'll each have to buy a copy," said Robin with a smile.

"Where is Beast Boy?" asked Starfire.

"In his room," said Raven, sadly.

"Man, what's wrong with him?" asked Cyborg. "Ever since he came home he's been sulkin in his room."

"He's just mad that it didn't snow much while he was in Gotham," said Raven.

"Really? He's that upset?" asked Robin.

"And why did he come home so early?" asked Starfire. "I thought he was to stay with you in Gotham for the remainder of the week."

"He just couldn't handle my grandparents' rules," said Raven, looking away from them.

"Yeah, that sounds like him," said Cyborg.

"I'm sure they were glad to be rid of him," said Robin.

"That's one way of putting it," said Raven. "Well, I'm going to bed. I'm exhausted and I'll be leaving early tomorrow."

"Must you leave so soon?" asked Starfire.

"Yes, I have much to do," said Raven. "My grandparents didn't even want me to leave, let alone spend the night away from home."

"But this is your home," said Cyborg. "Well, it was, at least. Anyway, go on and get to bed. We'll see you off in the mornin."

"Alright, goodnight you guys," said Raven with a smile and headed back to her empty room.

She sat on her bed for a while, looking around. This was the last night she would spend in her room as Raven of the Teen Titans. The next time she came here she would be Raven Larkin. And, most likely, Paul would be with her. How would she ever be able to come into this tower with Paul if Beast Boy was still here? The tension would be unbearable.

She sighed and lay down. She closed her eyes, but sleep would not come to her, no matter how tired she felt. She realized that she and Beast Boy would never again talk before they went to sleep. Those days were over. She had to push him out of her mind. She had to accept that Paul was the only one who should be on her mind. But he was the last person she wanted to think about.

Beast Boy lay on his bed, where he had been for hours. He didn't feel tired, just sad and depressed. Why did she have to get married? Why did she have to choose Paul over him? Why did she choose her grandparents over the Titans? Why did she have to meet them at all? Why couldn't her grandfather have just kept walking that day? Why did he have to see her and start this whole terrible thing?

He suddenly felt very selfish and sighed. He only wanted Raven to be happy. And, if this was what it took for her to achieve happiness, then he wasn't going to stop her. But then why did she look like she had wanted to be stopped? Why did her eyes look like they were pleading for him to say what he longed to?

There came a knock on his door and he sighed. "Come in," he said, turning his head towards the door.

The door slid open and Cyborg appeared. "Hey man," said Cyborg, walking inside and sliding the door shut. "What's up?"

"Nothing," Beast Boy sighed.

"Why're you so down?" asked Cyborg.

"I dunno," Beast Boy lied.

"Are you upset that Raven's leavin?" he asked.

Beast Boy was quiet for a second then said, "Yeah."

"Don't worry, man," said Cyborg. "It's not like she's dyin or somethin. She's just movin away and gettin married and leavin the Titans and…"

"Okay, I get it!" yelled Beast Boy.

"Look, I know you're upset that she's leavin so soon after she came back," said Cyborg. "But this is her decision."

"Yeah, I know," said Beast Boy, sadly. "But, somehow, I feel like this is all her grandparents doing."

Cyborg sighed and said, "You've gotta stop blamin her grandparents for all of the changes in her life."

"But she didn't change until she met them!" said Beast Boy.

"B, she was plenty changed when she came back to us after five years," said Cyborg. "Maybe she just wasn't don't changin. It is possible."

"Whatever," said Beast Boy. "Think what you want. I think this is all her grandparents' doing."

Cyborg sighed and shook his head. There was just no getting through his thick grass green head. "Well, she's leavin pretty early tomorrow," he said as he headed for the door. "You gonna see her off?"

Beast Boy was quiet for a moment then said, "Naw, I don't have anything to say to her."

"Alright," said Cyborg and he left, shutting the door behind him.

'Nothing to say to her!' his mind screamed at him. 'How can you lie like that? You have plenty to say to her! One thing more important than anything else!'

"Shut up," he said to himself then turned over in his bed.