AN: Nope, no ownership yet… deal with it

Not Coming

Winter passed and gave way into spring. Raven hadn't been to Jump city in five months now. Of course, she talked to at least one Titan every day over the phone or saw them in her communicator. But that was all. But one Titan she hadn't spoken to or seen since she left. And that was Beast Boy. But that didn't mean he wasn't always on her mind.

The invitations had been sent out two months before and the wedding date was closing in on her. She couldn't believe it was almost time. She had chosen a dress, the napkins, the center pieces, rented a reception hall, and every other little thing needed for a wedding. It seemed like all she ever did was work on the wedding. It kept her mind busy, at least, even if she didn't have any enthusiasm for it.

"I'm really glad we settled on that house," said Paul. "I think it's just right."

"Yes, it seemed very quaint," said Raven as she sat on the couch, reading.

"I'm sure we'll only be in it for a few years, though," said Paul. "After all, it only has two bedrooms."

Raven nodded and went on with her reading. She had learned that she was expected to be a housewife, like her grandmother. Her only job was going to be to keep the house tidy, cook, and raise the children. Paul loved children and wanted as many as Raven could give him. When she first heard all of this she was very much against it. But, as time passed, she grew used to the idea and accepted it. After all, her grandmother led that life and she seemed happy enough.

"I'm going to miss you these next two days," said Paul. To make the even more special they weren't going to see each other until the wedding, in three days. "Will you miss me?"

"Of course," said Raven, not looking up from her book. "I've barely been away from you these past few months."

"Well, at least it's only for two days," said Paul. "Then we'll be together for the rest of our lives."

Raven let out a soft sigh and turned a page in her book. She didn't want to think about the impending event. She was far to overwhelmed to anyway. Everything had seemed to happen so fast. Luckily, whenever she felt like she was going to have a breakdown her family was there for her. And this led her to grow a bit closer to Paul.

Paul wanted to make Raven as comfortable as possible with the whole situation. He could tell that Raven didn't feel exactly what he felt for her. So whenever he had a chance to get close to her and make a connection with her, he would.

But she would never love him. She would never say aloud that she loved him. She would never feel a lovers love for him. Her heart would never belong to him. He knew this. At first, he had believed that with time she could learn to love him. He felt that because he felt so strongly for her, eventually she would feel the same for him. But, as the days, the weeks, and the months passed, he saw that she had no interest in learning to love him. She would be his friend, his companion, but she would never be anything more.

"Hey, I've got to go finish some paperwork on the house," said Paul standing up. "I'll be back for dinner, okay?"

"Okay," said Raven.

He smiled, went over to her, and kissed her on the cheek. She gave him a small, sad, smile and watched him leave. She sighed and put her book down. She felt so lonely. As comforting as her family was, who always seemed to be around her, she just felt alone. She missed her friends, she missed her tower, she missed going out on missions, and most importantly she missed her Beast Boy.

She stood up and headed up to her bedroom. Once she was in she locked her door. She sighed and looked around her room. There were various wedding clippings pinned up here and there. Her grandmother and her would look over various wedding magazines and pick out things they liked. She hated those clippings. They just reminded her of what was to happen. But, soon she would be out of that room and out of that house.

She went over to her vanity and pulled out a small drawer. There lay the necklace. She gently picked it up and went to her bed. She lay down and hold the necklace close to her heart. She felt her chest tighten and tears well into her eyes. She began to weep, as she did every other day when she took the necklace out and lay with it for a little while.

Sometimes she would wonder why she was going through with this. Then she would remember that it was for her grandparents and Paul. Her mother had never listened to her parents and look at what had happened to her. She ended up being tricked into a cult and then deceived into marrying and being raped by Trigon. She didn't want to end up that way. If her mother had only listened to her parents, then maybe she wouldn't have had such a terrible life. Raven didn't want that to happen. She was going to do what her grandparents said. She was going to keep herself safe.

But, even the fact that she knew she was going to be safe couldn't stop the pain that filled her heart. If he had only said something to her, anything, she would have stopped this whole thing. She would have been his if he wanted her. But he couldn't say anything. He couldn't give her a valid reason. And now, here she lay, clasping his gift to her heart and wishing she could somehow escape the life that lay ahead of her.

When she was through with her little breakdown she decided to meditate. She hadn't really had a need to meditate in a long while, since she had felt so content, but now she did it as often as possible. It gave her a reason to get away from them and it gave them a reason to leave her alone. She had explained how her powers worked and now she could see a small tinge of fear in their eyes and they always asked her how she felt. Lord, she hated being feared.

Suddenly she heard her communicator go off and her concentration was broken. She quickly grabbed it from her bureau with her mind and moved it to her hand. She flipped it open and was absolutely shocked to see Beast Boy's face.

"Beast Boy?" she said, shocked, as her concentration was completely broken and she fell to the floor from her place in the air.

"Hi Raven," he said in a plain voice.

"Hi, I haven't spoken to you in… months," she said, getting up and sitting down on her bed. "How've you been?"

"Fine," he said. "I take it your life has been perfect."

"Uh, not perfect, but it's been fine if that's what you're asking," said Raven. "Why haven't you called before?"

"Busy," he said simply. "Look, I just called to tell you I can't make your wedding."

Raven felt a strong pain hit her. "W-what?" she asked. "Why not?"

"Someone needs to stay behind to take care of Jump City," he said. "And since I don't agree with this marriage of yours anyway, I volunteered."

"Oh," said Raven. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that. I would've really liked to see you."

"Yeah, well, duty calls," said Beast Boy.

"Are you sure you can't get someone else to watch over the city?" asked Raven.

"Even if we could, I still wouldn't be coming, Raven," he said in a low voice. "I'm not going to go and watch you make the biggest, stupidest mistake of your life."

Raven felt tears well in her eyes. "How dare you say that to me?" she said, clearly getting upset. "If you think what I'm doing is such a big mistake then why can't you give me a good reason not to do it?"

"I shouldn't have to!" said Beast Boy. "You should be able to see that what you're doing is wrong."

"Then pretend that I can't see that what I'm doing is wrong," said Raven. "Tell me right now why you so object to my wedding!"

"I just do, okay!" he said. Now he was as upset as her. "Can't you just take my word for it? Why can you do whatever your grandparents say, people you've only known for less than a year, but not me? I've known you for over half a decade!"

"Don't you bring them into this," she threatened, tears still pouring from her eyes. "Whenever things aren't going your way you always blame them!"

"Because it's their fault!" said Beast Boy. "Can't you see how much they've changed you? They've made you wear real clothes, they've made you start going to church, they've made you give up being a Titan, they've made you move to Gotham, and in two days they're making you marry some guy you haven't even known for a year!"

"They haven't made me do anything, Beast Boy!" she screamed, causing the pillows on her bed to explode. "I've chosen to do everything I've done. I take complete responsibility for my life."

"You may take responsibility, but that doesn't mean you have any control of it!" said Beast Boy.

"I can't go through this with you anymore," said Raven, wiping her eyes. "I'm sorry if you don't agree with what I'm doing with my life, but the least you can do is be happy for me and show your support."

"Well, I can't do that," said Beast Boy. "Look, I just called to tell you I'm not coming, not to fight with you. Have fun ruining your life."

"Goodbye Beast Boy," she cried and shut her communicator.

Beast Boy watched as the screen fizzled. He closed his own communicator and sat there for a second. Then he growled and threw it against his bedroom wall, shattering it. He grabbed his head and tried to calm down. He was so angry; angry with her, angry with himself. Just plain angry.

He heard a knock on his door and then the sound of it sliding open. "Uh, Beast Boy, you're communicator just went offline," said Robin.

"Yeah, it just broke," said Beast Boy.

Robin cocked an eyebrow and looked around. He saw the shattered communicator lying on the ground. "Just broke, huh?" he said, looking at the many pieces that had once formed the communicator. "You mad about anything are you? Look, I told you that you don't have to stay behind. You should come to the wedding."

"No, I'm not going to that wedding," said Beast Boy, firmly. "I don't agree with it, so I'm not gonna go and show my support, which I have none of."

"What's your big deal with Raven marrying this Paul guy?" asked Robin.

"I just don't like him," said Beast Boy. "And neither does she."

"Beast Boy, I very much doubt Raven would marry a guy she doesn't like," said Robin.

"She'll do whatever her grandparents tell her to do," said Beast Boy through his teeth.

Robin sighed and said, "Well, I'll have Cyborg make you a new communicator. Just, next time you get angry, don't take it out on the equipment."

"Whatever," said Beast Boy.

Robin shook his head and left Beast Boy in his room. He made his way back to the common room where he found Starfire attempting to cook like Raven, and, once again, failing horribly. Cyborg was flipping through the channels on the couch.

"So what happened to grass stain's communicator?" asked Cyborg.

"He broke it," said Robin. "He threw it against the wall for some reason."

"Why would he do such a thing?" asked Starfire as she quickly mixed some concoction in a bowl.

"He's angry about something," said Robin. "And my guess is that it's got something to do with Ravens wedding."

"I can't believe he's not gonna go," said Cyborg. "Those two were like best friends for a while there."

"Well, he doesn't believe in her wedding, so he's expressing his opinion by not going," said Robin.

"But he should go to make Raven happy," said Starfire. "I am sure she wants him to come."

"Well, we all know how stubborn Beast Boy can be," said Robin. "He's going to regret it, but he's old enough to make his own mistakes, just like the rest of us."

"Maybe we should try talkin him into comin again," said Cyborg.

"No, he's made up his mind," said Robin. "And maybe if we just ignore the topic entirely, use a little reverse psychology, he'll start thinking about coming again."

"Well, unfortunately, he does have a simple enough mind for that to work on," Cyborg chuckled.

"Robin, will you taste this to see if it is correct?" asked Starfire. Robin shuddered and Cyborg was glad he wasn't her boyfriend.