The next day …
Steve had just placed Raven's mug of tea on the coffee table, and placed a scone next to it on a small plate. He saw on the news that Changeling had been discharged yesterday from the hospital and hoped that Raven would be in better spirits today. The scone was a small celebratory gesture. As soon as the plate was on the coffee table Raven phased out of the floor. She had an envelope in her hand.
She looked at the table. "A scone?"
"I read in the wiki that you are fond of them. I hope that's true."
She picked up the plate and sniffed the scone.
"It is true … mmm … blueberry, my favorite. Did the wiki really say that I like scones?"
He nodded. "But nothing about blueberry being your favorite."
She shook her head as she put the plate back down. "Who writes this stuff?"
"Your fans, apparently you are fond of a place called the Sartre Café, and you drink tea and order scones there, according to your wiki entry. "
She frowned. "I stopped going there because of the fans. I used to like going there because it's dark and people read nihilistic poetry. I haven't been there for years. I felt like I was under a microscope there, now I know I was. People were taking notes on what I ate and documented it in that stupid wiki."
She handed the envelope to him. He looked at her quizzically.
"Go ahead, open it."
He did and he pulled out a very ornate wedding invitation.
"Before you say anything, I let Starfire choose the design. I would never choose something so overdone as that."
Steve smiled as he read the invite. "Are you sure you want me to attend?"
"Absolutely, I'm ready to get married and it's in a large part thanks to you."
He slid the invite back into the envelope. "Normally, I wouldn't attend, for professional reasons, but in your case I will make an exception." He smiled as he gestured her to sit down, which she did.
"I saw in the news that you brought Gar home."
"I did." She beamed.
"So, how are you feeling?"
"I'm happy, Steve, I'm happier than I have ever been."
"Wonderful!"
"But there was a fly in the ointment. I only just decided whether or not to tell Gar about the incident."
"What did you decide to do?"
She heaved a sigh. "It wasn't an easy decision. On one hand, keeping that secret from him weighs on me, a lot. But I don't want to hurt him. Not now, not ever. And I'm really worried that he will be hurt."
"Maybe he won't be hurt?"
"You could be right. Maybe I'll tell him some day. I know we weren't a couple then. Had I had a previous intimate relationship I think he would understand, but that's not what that was. I know I wasn't myself at the time, he knows who and what Rage is; but I'm just not ready to tell him now. Someday, I hope I can."
Steve nodded. "You made a careful and rational decision, which is never easy in a situation like this. You have come a long way, Raven."
"Except I still feel lousy about my decision."
"You can't control how you feel."
"I can only control how I react to my feelings. I know, Steve, I know." She said in a slightly dejected tone.
She suddenly appeared to cheer up. "But I have good news. Yesterday, Gar and I privately exchanged vows. While we aren't legally married yet, you can call me Raven Logan."
She proceeded to tell him about their exchange of vows on the roof top.
"Those were beautiful vows. I have to say, promising fidelity even if he dies first is a big promise. I've never heard of such a vow. I can see why he protested."
"I felt that I owed it to him, even if he doesn't know why."
"That was your decision to make. And it is a very special vow. And so is promising to bear as many children as he wants. Are you sure you're up to that?"
"I am, in fact I wish I was pregnant now."
Steve smiled happily. "You are going to be a great mother. Will you retire from the super hero business?"
"We talked a little about that, and decided to wait and see. Maybe if we find a nanny we feel we can trust we can start a family before we retire. I know it's easy to think that I can never retire, but there are always new heroes in the pipeline. I guess all I can say for now is: we'll see, though I don't want to wait forever."
She picked up her scone nibbled it.
"This is excellent, where did you get this? It's delicious. Did you wife bake it?"
Steve guffawed and handed her a small bag with a few more scones in it. She looked at the label on the bag.
"WalMart? You're kidding me!"
"I'm not, and you can take that home with you. Anyway, we still have 40 minutes left. Is there anything you want to talk about today?"
She leaned back in her chair. "Steve, I have an odd question: do you think I could ever lose my mind?"
"You mean become insane?"
"Yes, that. Do you think it's possible?"
"I don't think so. Why are you asking me this now?"
Raven fidgeted with her fingers.
"I never told you about when Starfire travelled to the future …"
"You're telling me that time travel is possible?" He gasped.
"It is … please don't tell anyone, it's classified. Anyway, the future she saw was one where the team broke up and we all went our own ways. In that future I was a demented recluse, I mean I was crazy, as in off my rocker.. Steve … knowing what happened in that timeline terrifies me. It doesn't have to turn out that way; in fact it only happened because Starfire disappeared from our time line."
"So in other words, that particular future won't come to pass since she came back."
She nodded. "Right … but knowing that I did go crazy unnerves me … it makes me afraid of letting Gar commit himself to me. How can I allow him to become my husband if I might lose it?"
"Raven … that's not going to happen … sure, had you remained untreated, who knows? But that's not the case, and I have to say that I'm really impressed with your progress … back when we started I estimated that it would take you two more years to get where you are now … Raven … soon you won't need to come see me anymore. We'll be done. We're almost there."
Raven stood up from her seat. "Really? You mean I'm …" She paused as she searched for a word.
"Whole? Yes, you are. Sure, we have some loose ends to wrap up, but nothing major. We could be done in just a few more months."
"A few months … wow. "She looked him in the eyes. "I thought I would see you for years." She paused. "Steve, I think I'm going to miss you."
He smiled. "We'll keep in touch. And if anything does come up, I'll be here."
Poor Raven still looked astonished. "I can't believe it. A few months ago I was a hot mess, a basket case …"
"You were never either of those. And you are a very strong person; most people would have crumbled under the burdens you carried."
"I sometimes felt like I was about to crumble. I never told you about Machior."
"Malchior? That name isn't in your wiki page."
"Thank Azar for small favors. Remember that dragon that attacked the Tower?"
"Yes, I do. So that was Malchior." He glanced at the clock, still 30 minutes left.
"Yeah, that was him. He was trapped by a curse and imprisoned in a book. He pretended to be someone else and tricked me into falling in love with him. I let him out of the book and it almost cost us our lives."
"I remember, that was quite a showdown the Titans had with him, and that was in the wiki, though no one knew who he really was. So, tell me, do you think you could be tricked like that again?"
"No. I was a stupid 15 year old who thought she was unlovable. Now I know better, plus I have a great man who has already pledged himself to me." She sighed as she shook her head. "Steve, I was so lucky he didn't try to seduce me. Had he been able to take human form and … Azar, I don't even want to think about it. The thing is, I was so madly in love with him, and he could have talked me into anything."
"What happened when you learned the truth?"
"I locked myself in my room. I was so embarrassed and humiliated, not to mention ashamed of myself. I couldn't face my friends, not after putting them in that kind of danger." A small smile appeared on her face. "It was Gar who came and rescued me and got me to come out of my room. And you know what he told me? He said 'you think you're alone Raven; but you're not.' I was so grateful for his unconditional friendship that I hugged him. Steve, back then I didn't do hugs. And, little did I know at the time that I was going to fall in love and marry him."
"Maybe that is when it started."
"You might be right. Sometime later Terra threatened to kill him. I told her if she harmed him it would be the last thing she ever did. Steve, villains are always threatening to harm us. But the only time I truly threatened to kill someone when Rage wasn't in control, it was then. The thought of losing him terrified me, even though back then I pretended to not like him, even to the point of believing it myself."
The clock chimed.
"And we're out of time." She deadpanned.
Steve made a comment in his notebook then he stood up. "We'll talk some more about this when you get back from your honeymoon."
Raven stood up and lunged at him, wrapping her arms around him. "Thanks, Steve; I couldn't have done this without you."
There was a knock on the door; Steve's next patient was ready. Raven startled and sank into the ground. He smiled as he reached for the doorknob.
Sometimes, I really love my job.
He opened the door. "Come on in, Matt. What would you like to discuss today?"
-(-)-
About four months later …
The wedding had gone off without a hitch. Rather than do it in a courthouse, Cyborg, that is to say, Victor Stone took an online course from " youcanmarrypeople dot com" and after getting his certificate he officiated the simple wedding ceremony, which is how Raven wanted it. Steve attended as did the extended Titans family and the Doom Patrol. Raven and Gar repeated their rooftop vows in front of the crowd, and then the "I do's", after which Cyborg bellowed "I pronounce you husband and wife, now let's see some smooching! Booyah!" Rita sniffled and muttered that "her little boy was a man now." While Mento looked pleased with himself.
Nightwing gave them two whole months off for their honeymoon, and Starfire booked them a long and yet leisurely excursion, on a Mediterranean cruise, a trip across central Europe, followed by Africa, then India, and finally two whole weeks in Fiji.
After so much idle time the Logans were actually glad to come home and recover from their trip. Per Nightwing the past few weeks had been very slow and it was like that after their return for about a week. Raven could once again sit on the couch and read her old dusty books; including some new additions to her collection she picked up on the trip. Gar, Cyborg and Nightwing played video games and Starfire cooked Tamaranian horrors in the kitchen that were toxic for humans. And at night there was plenty of quality time for the newlyweds. In other words, life was good.
The peace could not last, of course. The crime alert finally blared and Nightwing rushed to the mission console and typed furiously. As soon as he read the update, he frowned.
"It's just a bank robbery. The police have it under control. We don't have to go."
Raven looked up from her book. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting a case of cabin fever." She droned in her monotone."
"Me too." Gar agreed.
Grayson shrugged. "Sure, we can go anyway. Maybe grab some pizza afterwards. Titans, Go." He said in a very leisurely tone.
-(-)-
The police already had the ubiquitous yellow tape around the crime scene. The Titans were exempt from it and crossed beyond the tape. It was a very mundane crime: two masked men attempted to rob a suburban branch of the Bank of Perez. A sergeant saw them approach and met them.
"Thanks for coming, but it's already over. We have the perps in custody and are bringing them out."
The Titans watched as two handcuffed men wearing balaclavas were brought out of the bank. The paddy wagon was standing ready and the robbers would walk past the Titans as they were lead to the vehicle. The two men were escorted by six policemen, who wore Jump City's ubiquitous "storm trooper" armor. The five heroes watched as the men approached and as they got closer, one of the officers removed their balaclavas, exposing their faces.
And Raven's heart froze. While she was able to maintain her signature poker face, inside she was approaching a panic, as she focused on the second robber, who continued his escorted approach.
No, it can't be. This is impossible. It can't be him.
Raven was transfixed on the man's face. She had seen it before. Up front and close. Far too close.
He has to be a doppelganger.
Then she saw the tattoo on his arm: a demon surround by runes. She looked back at his face; doing everything she could to contain her growing panic. But there was no doubt in her mind, it was him. The prisoners and their escorts were now walking past the Titans. The man with the tattoo noticed that Raven was staring at him.
He broke free from the guard's grasp and ran up to her. Raven's eyes widened in fear. Did he recognize her?
"What are you looking at, witch!?" He snarled at her.
"OK, Jared, keep your mouth shut. You're already in enough trouble as it is." One of the officers admonished him as he grabbed him and shoved him into the paddy wagon. Once seated, Jared looked back at Raven, and then at Gar, who was standing next to her.
"You're both losers and freaks. No wonder you married each other. No one else would have either of you."
"Sorry about that, Titans." The officer said as he began to close the door. Jared shouted more insults as the door closed. "Slade rules, Titans drool!" He laughed. "Just wait; I'll be released without bail, losers. You won't catch me next time!"
The door slammed shut. The officer pounded three times on the door and the driver pulled away. It was then that Raven realized she was holding her breath. She exhaled. She thanked Azar, as he did not recognize her. Her magical disguise had worked.
He has no idea that I was that girl, and that I had sex with him. But why would he remember? I was just some weird girl with an attitude he picked up years ago.
"What a jerk!" Gar growled as he shook his fist at the departing vehicle. "Yeah, you better run!" He then turned to a guard. "Who was that dirt bag?"
The guard handed Changeling a clipboard. "His name is Jared Sedgwick. He's a small time perp, a petty thief. Robbing a bank is a change for him. If he thinks the DA will release him without bail after trying to rob a bank, he's gonna be disappointed. And he won't be able to raise bail, so he's staying in jail until his trial."
Raven suddenly felt like she needed to vomit. Fortunately her stomach was empty and all she had were a couple of dry heaves.
"Rave, are you OK?" Gar asked her.
"I need to go home." She whispered.
-(-)-
A few hours later …
Raven was levitating above their bed, repeating her mantra. Gar was sitting on a loveseat, reading the police report on the bank robbery before tossing it aside.
"What's going on with Jump? Pick pockets are now bank robbers? And what was that dude's problem with you? You were just looking at him. It's like they're all psychos now."
"I don't know what's happening to Jump City. What I do know is that he was boiling with rage. He would have yelled at anyone. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's OK, Gar, it's not the first time someone called me a witch."
"I still hate it when someone says that." He grumble.d
Gar's communicator trilled. He opened it and saw Cyborg's face.
"Hey B, will Raven let me borrow you? The new GTA Jump City edition is for sale at Jump City Electronics. Wanna go with me to pick it up? We could grab something to eat while we're out."
"Go." She said. "I could use some quiet time. And I think your friend misses you."
"Thanks Raven! I'll bring him home before dinner! Promise!"
Gar kissed his wife and was gone. Raven saw the report on his desk and she glided over to it. She read the report. His name was indeed Jared Sedgwick. Raven bit her lip as she hesitated. She opened her laptop computer and accessed the JCPD database, using her privileged Titans login which gave her full access. She entered his name in the search field and paused.
Do I really want to do this?
Without thinking she pressed enter. Within seconds Jared's rap sheet appeared on the screen. She began to read it and she winced when she read the following:
The subject is known to be a sexual predator that targets underage girls. He has never charged as no one will come forward as a witness.
Raven face palmed. "And I was one of his victims. Had I done something who knows how many girls might have not been his victims?" She muttered to herself. She continued reading his rap sheet until she couldn't stomach it any more. She slammed her laptop shut.
I was too ashamed to come forward. I could have helped keep him behind bars, but I did nothing.
Tears began to drip down her face. "I gave myself to that scum bag." She whimpered, feeling all the progress she had made in her therapy slip away, melting like a dropped ice cream cone. Then she heard a voice in her mind.
"I'm sorry, that was my fault." Rage apologized in her demonic voice, and then added. "We should kill him, before he hurts anyone else. No one will know it was us."
"Tempting, but no. I am not a murderer." Raven replied
There was a brief silence. "If you change your mind, you know where to find me. And whatever you do, don't tell Gar about him. I don't want to lose him."
"Neither do I." Raven replied sotto voce. She picked up the phone and hit the speed dial.
"Steve? I need to see you, ASAP."