Before we start, I have some Titans comic book trivia to share. I just received my copy of the New Teen Titans Omnibus vol 3 (a huge and awesome book). In the show, perhaps one of the favorite lines for BBRae shippers is when BB tells Raven after Malchior broke her heart that "You think you're alone Raven, but you're not". That line came straight out of the comics, though it wasn't BB telling it to Raven. It was Jillian Jackson, BB's first girlfriend, who consoles him as he mourns Terra's death and betrayal in the Judas Contract arc.
Anyway, just thought you'd like to know that. Now onto the story!
-( scene break )-
Another limo drove down Bayside Avenue as the sun was setting over Jump City bay, pulling away from the hotel where Cyborg and the other male Titans were staying, since the original Tower was still a museum. Cyborg and Nightwing, along with Speedy, Mas y Menos and Aqualad sat in the cavernous passenger compartment. The archer cracked open a large cooler and pulled out several cans of beer, tossing them to his fellow passengers. Garfield shook his head when he offered him a brewski. Speedy kept the can for himself and opened it.
"What's the matter, Changeling?" He asked.
"I don't feel like having a beer. Where are you guys taking me anyway?"
"It's a surprise … now just sit down and relax … sure you don't want a beer?"
"Oh … OK." He reluctantly accepted a can.
The limo continued to advance through the city, until it pulled off the street and into a parking lot. Gar peered through the limo's dark windows and saw a neon sign the boldly announced their destination: "The Musk Ox – A Gentleman's Club." A smaller sign below it announced "Closed for Private Party – Please come back tomorrow to see Jump's best ladies show it all"
"Seriously? You're taking me to a stripper joint … wow … that's classy. Nothing like celebrating my upcoming marriage with a bunch of drunken strangers watching nasty, skanky girls doing some pole dancing."
"Hey! First of all we reserved the place for ourselves … it's a private party. And the Musk Ox has the best looking girls in town." Speedy explained.
"Why am I not surprised that you know that?" Garfield frowned.
"Lighten up Gar; you don't want to be known as the Titans' Boy Scout, do you?" Speedy snickered.
"Where did you think we were gonna take you, Disneyland?" Aqualad guffawed.
"I'd rather go there than here."
"Oh come on B, this is tradition we're talking about." Cyborg cajoled him. "And Speedy's right, the girls here are pretty."
The changeling sighed. Short of running away there was no way he was going to get out of this.
"Whatever." He replied as his friends led him into the establishment.
-( scene break )-
"You're inviting us to join the Justice League?"
Wonder Woman's face betrayed a hint of surprise. "Us?"
"Yeah … us. The invitation is also for Garfield, right?"
Diana began to hem and haw.
"Raven, don't take this the wrong way … I know that Garfield has a stellar track record with the Doom Patrol and the Titans … but …"
"But what?" Raven hissed at her.
"Look, we all like Changeling … but … he just isn't Justice League material … I'm sorry."
Raven glared at the Amazon princess.
"Then I'm not interested."
"Are you serious? Raven, you have some amazing gifts. Do you really want to spend the rest of your life running that little antique shop?"
"I'm dead serious. We're a package deal. Either you take both of us or I won't even consider your offer."
"But Raven, we need you in the League. Do you have any idea of how underrepresented women are in the Justice League? Well, I'll tell you! There are ten men for every female member!"
"Oh, I see, I'm an Affirmative Action candidate then."
"What? No! Of course not! Raven, you stand on your own. You are a formidable super hero; you are wanted in the League, by everyone, you'd be an awesome addition. Is it really that big of a deal if Changeling isn't invited to join?"
"Yes it is."
Diana groaned. "Why? Oh Raven, don't tell me you're afraid of upstaging him? Is he really that insecure?"
Wonder Woman's accusation stung, but Raven's face did not betray her irritation.
"Listen … princess … I'm getting married this weekend. The last thing I want to do is spend endless amounts of time away from my husband. Call me crazy, but I would like to sleep with him every night, have breakfast with him every morning, be with him, you know, do couple stuff … oh wait … you wouldn't know about that, would you?"
This time it was the Amazon's turn to glare at the not so veiled insult. "Raven, even if Changeling joined the League there's no way you would be guaranteed to stay together during missions. That's not how the League works."
"Then that settles it, I'm not interested."
Diana became red faced. "I don't believe this; you're turning down League membership for a man?"
"You don't get it, do you? I'm not turning membership in your precious club for a man; I'm turning it down for MY man. Now if you'll excuse me …"
Raven turned back towards her table and grimaced at the sight that greeted her. Jinx and Argent were talking with one of the muscle bound, well oiled and half dressed waiters. Argent pointed at Raven and the Chippendale guy looked her way, smiling seductively while Jinx gestured at Raven to come. Starfire and Kole were seated at the table and both looked mortified.
"I don't believe this …" Raven seethed. "I'm out of here."
A dark portal opened beneath her and she sank into the floor.
-( scene break )-
Garfield sipped his Black Russian half heartedly while a voluptuous and completely naked blond performed her pole dance to some loud and rhythmic music. He didn't seem to notice her at all as he stared vacantly into infinity. She completed her performance and turned to face the special superhero audience before her. Unlike with the ladies the men were dressed in their superhero uniforms and the buck naked dancer blew kisses at them before departing the stage.
"And that was Miss Bambi, who was voted Miss Musk Ox in April …" A disembodied female voice announced over the speakers. "Sit tight boys, there's still more to come."
"Come on Gar, this isn't a funeral … enjoy yourself." Nightwing reprimanded him.
The changeling took a small sip from his drink, not even bothering to look at the stage.
"C'mon man, at least look at them."
"Why?"
One of the waitresses, who all were also strippers approached Nightwing and whispered something in his ear. The masked hero grinned and thanked the waitress.
"Alright Changeling, the next girl, you're gonna like her … it's guaranteed!"
"Yeah, right …"
Once again the music started playing, but it wasn't the usual strip tease music, it was the theme song from the cartoon show about them that Cyborg liked so much. An impatient moan escaped Gar's lips.
"OK guys … this is beyond lame."
"Sit tight green jeans, you're in for a treat!"
The lights on the stage dimmed and the curtain in the back parted. A silhouetted figure emerged and approached the pole. When the lights came back on the changeling dropped his drink, the glass shattered on the floor.
A girl in a hooded blue cloak stood before him. Her face was shrouded under her hood.
"Raven?" He croaked. His companions began to hoot and cheer.
The cloaked girl turned around so that her back was to them. In a swift gesture using both hands she lowered her hood, revealing her violet locks. Gar continued to stare in abject horror. The girl, still with her back towards her audience, began to prance around the stage, make provocative gestures with her body.
"Take it off, Raven!" Aqualad hollered. "Take it all off."
The dancer parked herself in front of the pole and with another swift gesture she removed her blue cape and tossed it aside. She was wear a bra and a thong, which revealed her gray gluteus, which were perfectly shaped. Gar continued to stare, paralyzed in his disbelief. It couldn't possibly be her, but she was the right size, color and shape, right down to her butt cheeks.
Finally the girl turned around and raised her arms, eliciting a cheer from the small group, except for Garfield, who finally saw her face. He rose to his feet, his face red with indignation.
"STOP IT! STOP IT RIGHT NOW!" He bellowed in a savage voice which Speedy later recalled sounding like a lion's roar.
The girl, who had begun her pole dance, stopped dead in her tracks. The changeling's eyes were red and he pointed at her.
"HOW DARE YOU!? HOW DARE YOU PRETEND TO BE HER!"
The dancer locked eyes with him and her jaw became slack. She pointed at Cyborg. "It was his idea."
"GET HELL OUT OF HERE!"
She didn't need to be told twice. She picked up her props and ran off the stage as two burly bouncers approached the changeling.
"It's OK, guys, we got it under control." Cyborg waved the bouncers off. "Plus you would never be able to take him; he'd kick your asses with both hands tied behind his back."
The bouncers sized up the small changeling, doubting the Tin Man's warning. After a brief pause they grudgingly backed off while the green professor turned to the Tin Man.
"Is this your idea of a joke? Do you think this is funny?"
"Oh come on, B, it was just a prank."
"Not. Funny."
"Come on Changeling, you've been a buzzkill all night, what's your problem? These girls are all smoking hot, and you gotta admit, that last girl could be a body double for Raven." Speedy chortled in his semi drunken stupor.
Without saying a word Garfield left the room. Cyborg ran after him, but as soon as he was outside, the changeling had vanished. The Tin Man dropped an F bomb. The evening wasn't supposed to turn out this way and now he had no idea of where Garfield was.
-( scene break )-
Raven sat on the Tower's roof top, with her legs dangling over the ledge. The city's lights twinkled in the distance. She hadn't sat up there in eight years and she somehow felt back at home, even though the Tower was now a museum. She was sitting in the very spot where she and Beast Boy would sit after dinner during their last year as Titans. She remembered how badly she wanted to kiss him back then and how she lacked the nerve to try something as innocent and sweet as a smooch. Of course he was no better back then, he was just as shy and awkward himself.
"I wasn't expecting to find you here."
Raven looked up and saw her green fiancé sit down next to her.
"This was our spot." She replied in her monotone.
"Yeah, those were good times."
Except that neither of us had the nerve to confess." She replied.
He smiled at her as he took her hand. "We were a couple of shy kids."
"We were … so what are you doing here?" She asked.
"I was going to ask you the same thing … I guess I'll go first … they took me to a stripper joint."
"My party wasn't all that different, except it was on a night cruise."
"So, lots of beefcake, huh?"
"You could smell the illegal steroids in the air."
Gar laughed. "So why did you bail?"
"Long story short … We played a stupid game of truth, where everyone confessed who their first lover was. When they found out that I've only been with you they tried to hook me up with one of the Chippendale guys."
"You mean a male prostitute? What were they thinking? Where they on crack?"
"No, they were all drunk. Then Wonder Woman showed up and invited me to join the Justice League."
"SHE DID!? Rave, that's awesome!"
"I turned her down."
"You did? Why?"
"You weren't included in the invitation."
"I wasn't?" His voice drooped. "Well … so what? You'd be in the Justice League, the majors, you'd be running with the big boys and girls."
"Maybe, but that would mean that I would away, a lot … too much in fact … I'd rather be a shopkeeper and go to bed with you every night … professor."
Gar smiled sheepishly. "Thanks Rave, you always know what to say."
"I know." She smirked. "So why did you bail?"
"They had a stripper dressed up like you."
"Really?"
"Yes, really … plus it was boring."
"Having naked girls cavorting before you was boring?"
"Of course it was … I'd much rather see you naked."
"Did I ever tell you that you're a smooth talker?"
"Maybe once or twice." He replied. "So what do we do now?"
"I don't know … I don't want to go back to our place, everyone will be there."
"I know what you mean … Hey, I have an idea … I know where we can go and no one will bother us."
-( scene break )-
The sun was rising over the bay, casting its amber glow which shimmered on the water's smooth surface. An aura of peace and tranquility hovered over the bay while a single tugboat was passing under the signature bay bridge.
Unfortunately in Raven's apartment above Azarathia things were not quite so serene. After the engaged Titans ditched their parties their friends tried, in vain, to find them. The search progressed through the entire night and they remained empty handed. Cyborg was running the command center from Raven's living room, fretting about the events from the night before. All of the Titans who could fly were out searching for the Chromatically Challenged Couple™ and were becoming frustrated with their lack of success.
"What were we thinking?" He grumbled.
"I don't see what you're so worried about. I'm sure they'll come back. Maybe they're together."
"That's what I'm worried about."
"I don't follow." Jinx raised an eyebrow.
"If they found each other, they might have chosen to elope."
"So?"
"So … we've been putting a big wedding together for them. Hundreds of guests are coming. We even borrowed the old Tower from the National Parks Service for the wedding; it's been closed to the public for a week."
"You worry too much."
Before Cyborg could rebuke her, there was an incoming call. It was Starfire.
"I have found them."
He heaved a huge sigh of relief. "About time … where the hell were they?"
"They were and are still asleep in Raven's room."
"Wait a minute … Star, we checked Raven's room here in the house. They aren't here."
"No, Cyborg … not in the house."
"Then where? You said they were in Raven's room … ohhh!"
Jinx looked perplexed. "Where are they?"
Cyborg smiled. "They're in Raven's old room in the Tower … Star … let them sleep, they'll come back when they're ready ... I hope."
"That would be a good idea. I do not wish to wake them … I believe that they are not wearing any clothes."
"What a bunch of party poopers!" Jinx complained. "We had all kinds of fun set up for them and what do they do? They run away and bonk each other. Pfft! They'll have plenty of time to do that later aftere the wedding."
"Should I leave them a note, telling them that we are sorry?" Starfire asked.
"Nah, they'll be back when they're good and ready … we'll apologize then … Cyborg out."
-( scene break )-
The following Saturday …
Raven swung the white cape around her shoulders and snapped its clasp shut. With a bit of trepidation she turned around and looked into the full length mirror that hung on the wall in her room. The last time she wore an entirely white ensemble was the day she vanquished her father. Unlike the outfit she wore on that long distant day she was wearing a long skirt instead of her signature leotard. Her gray face and long violet hair stood out in harsh contrast to the snow white outfit.
Today was the day. Cyborg and Starfire took it upon themselves to do all the organizing and had to call in more than a few favors to get things done and reserved on such short notice, but they pulled it off. Nightwing used some of his clout to borrow the old Tower in Jump City Bay for the special day, and media helicopters were buzzing around the Jump City landmark, much as they did years before when Starfire and the newly minted Nightwing tied the knot in a very public celebration. This time however the media was not invited, Raven made sure that was clear and understood by everyone. That of course didn't mean that the helicopters wouldn't push it as they flirted with the boundaries of the Tower's "no fly zone" which the government had temporarily set to a one mile radius for the day.
Raven was standing in what used to be her old room. The velvet ropes were absent and for a moment it felt as if time had not passed at all and that she was still a Teen Titan. But time had indeed passed and she saw a 28 year old version of herself in the mirror, and she didn't like what she saw.
Brides were supposed to be radiant and beautiful and Raven felt she was neither. Part of it was her own fault she realized, as she refused to wear a traditional frilly wedding dress. Kole, Starfire, Jinx and Bumblebee made multiple attempts to change her mind and she refused every single time, saying that a traditional wedding gown wasn't her style. As she stared at her reflection she realized that she was right, the plain white dress and cape fit her personality to a tee: it was plain and boring, as monotone and unexpressive as her voice.
With every minute that passed Raven found she was feeling more and more agitated. She looked at clock on the wall as saw that there was still nearly an hour to go before the ceremony was scheduled to begin. A veritable eternity in her mind, one that she wasn't certain she could endure.
She walked over to her old bed, where her suitcase was resting. She left her old furniture behind for a reason, and it wasn't for the museum's benefit. When the Titans broke up she decided that she was going to turn over a new leaf, and that meant leaving behind the creepy furniture that identified her as a witch. She always hated being called a witch, in the old days it had been the local tabloids' favorite description for her. They always referred to the other 4 Titans by their hero names, but she was always the 'grey witch' in the sensationalist and libelous tabloids.
Raven sighed. Maybe they were right after all, as all she saw in the mirror was a gray sorceress, a witch. A foul tempered witch with a reputation of being mean spirited and abusive towards the man she was going to marry the within the next hour. Of course the tabloids were having a field day with that and published endless unflattering stories and pictures detailing her past treatment of the Teen Titan once known as Beast Boy. What made it worse was the fact that the stories and pictures were all true. The worst ones were the photos and video footage from Tokyo of her actually hitting and slapping him while she sported a cruel smirk on her face. Of course during their final year as Titans she repeatedly begged him for his forgiveness, which he always granted with a warm smile.
In the end it didn't matter that he had forgiven her. As she looked once again at her reflection it was evident as the chakra stone on her forehead: she was turning into a basket case.
She opened her suitcase and rummaged carefully through it until she found her meditation mirror, which she lifted out of the piece of luggage. She didn't look into it right away, wondering if it really was a good idea to venture into Nevermore a mere hour before the wedding. She had resisted the urge to venture into the recesses of her mind as the wedding day approached, but now that it was imminent she was beginning to think that she was about to come apart at the seams. She closed her eyes and began to repeat her mantra, over and over, until her heart rate slowed down and her breathing became calm.
Feeling she was now ready she opened her eyes and stared into the mirror, at first seeing only her own natural reflection, but after a moment her reflection vanished and she was able to see the dark starry skies of Nevermore. She felt a slight tug and did not resist as it gently drew her in. She floated down from the sky like a snowflake and when she landed she only found Wisdom waiting for her.
"Greetings Raven, you have returned. You have a question, if I am not mistaken."
Raven stared at the emoticlone with a blank expression before asking the question in her monotone.
"Am I making a mistake? Will I be a good spouse?"
Wisdom removed her glasses and cleaned them with her cape. Once she was done, she replied.
"Garfield seems to think you will be a good spouse. Do you not trust his judgment?"
"What if … what if I let him down? What if I disappoint him?"
"What is it you are concerned about?"
Raven shuffled on her feet, clearly feeling uncomfortable and not wishing to answer the question.
"I've always been an emotional cripple. I am a demon after all…"
"Half demon." Wisdom corrected her. "Big difference, very big difference. You're also a woman Raven."
"I know, I just don't think I'm a very good woman."
"What a load!" Another voice interrupted.
Raven whirled around and saw that it was Brave.
"Am I good woman? Will he be happy with me? Will he want to be with me for the rest of his life?"
"Of course he will, why do you even ask? I guarantee you that he'll come to us every night, begging us for more." Brave harrumphed. "Heck, he already does. I'll tell you how happy he is: have you seen the size of his boner?"
Raven shook her head.
"That's not what I meant. I have no doubts that I'll eventually be able to please him sexually; I am a demoness after all. But that is a mere part of what being married is all about. It's the small things that concern me and my temper as well. I know I've come a long way from the days when I was always angry, but it's a burden that I always carry, and I constantly fear I will lose control."
Lust emerged from a growing crowd of emotions and walked up to Raven. She glared at her master before addressing her.
"I should have known you'd find a way to spoil our fun. We're finally gonna bag him as ours and ours alone and you start worrying about whether or not you're worthy of him. What the hell is wrong with you?"
"A lot of things are wrong with me." Raven replied weakly. "Gar deserves someone better than me …"
"Oh please … you mean like that traitor bitch Terra …" Rude interrupted. She then walked behind Raven and kicked her in the butt.
"What the Trigon was that for?"
"That's for being stupid. Look … I know that I'm nothing more than a boorish jerk, but Gar is the best thing that's ever happened to us. He's always been our friend and he loves us, and you know what Raven? We can't live without him and you know it, our life would be empty and void … we wanna have him … and he's our man, so get it through your thick skull, we're all gonna be happy. Understand?"
Raven's other emoticlones began to crowd around her, clamoring for her attention. They reflected the full spectrum of the disarray her mind was in, and she understood the folly of coming to Nevermore. She then fell someone tugging on her shoulders and heard her name being called out as if from far away.
Raven jerked and found herself back in her room.
-( scene break )-
Gar kept fussing with his bow tie, and with an exaggerated sigh he threw his hands into the air in defeat.
"These things are impossible to tie!" He groaned as he picked up the instructions sheet that came with the tie and tossed into a dustbin in his old room in the Tower.
Nightwing, who was also wearing a tux, approached him.
"Stand still, I'll do it for you. It really isn't that hard."
"Well duh, Alfred probably taught you how to do it."
"Who's Alfred?" Cyborg asked. He too was wearing a tux, perhaps the biggest one Gar had ever seen.
"A friend." Nightwing replied evasively.
"That's right, I forgot, the grass stain knows your secret identity, but I don't." The tin man complained.
"Cy, we've been over this, I can't tell you who I am without revealing Batman's identity."
Cyborg poured himself a drink, which he consumed in a single gulp.
"Yeah, yeah, I understand. That doesn't mean I have to like it though …"
"Look, if it was up to me you'd know."
"Forget it … hey green bean … you sure you don't want any scotch, this is the good stuff, single malt. It costs $100 a bottle."
Nightwing finished the tie and stepped back.
"There you go; even Alfred couldn't have done it better."
"Thanks. And no Cy, no booze now, there'll be plenty at the reception."
Cyborg chuckled.
"Are you nervous B? You're getting married to our Raven after all."
Gar sat down on the lower bunk.
"Yeah, I'm nervous ... way nervous."
"Well, you don't have to worry about anything; I've taken care of it all: the judge, caterers, the band, the guest list, I even booked you guys a private island in the Caribbean for your honeymoon. Complete privacy, you guys can do it on the beach if you want."
"I don't think that's our style Cy, but that's not why I'm nervous."
"Then why are you worried?" Nightwing asked.
Gar fidgeted with his fingers, clearly stalling, until finally he cleared his throat.
"You guys have heard of the expression 'marrying up', right?"
Nightwing laughed.
"Have I heard of it? Gar, in case you've forgotten, I'm married to a princess. I'm a circus brat, I married WAY up, so far up that I get nose bleeds."
"I know, so I'll guess you'll understand …"
"What? Oh come on B, you aren't telling us that you think Raven is too good for you? Look, I just upgraded my processors and their impartial analysis is that you guys are made for each other."
"So what's the problem?" Nightwing added.
"Well … you guys know that Raven is smarter and more powerful than me."
Nightwing laughed.
"Gar, you're a doctor, a DVM. That takes some brains."
"I know, I'm not stupid. I used to act dumb when we were younger, but Raven, she has such an awesome mind … you know … the only reason I got all those degrees … it was to impress her … so she would know that I wasn't an idiot. It was the least I could do; after all I'll never be able to match her powers."
"Well I think it worked grass stain, or should I call you Dr. Grass Stain? Haven't you noticed that when she introduces you to people she always calls you 'Dr. Garfield Logan' and sometimes she even mentions that you have two doctoral degrees. She's proud of you man, but more than that, she loves you. What more do you want? She's smart, smoking hot and she adores you."
"Sometimes it seems too good to be true."
"But it is true, Gar. Anyway, it's time. Your woman is waiting for you; it's time to make her yours." Nightwing remarked.
As they got up from their chairs Nightwing inspected Gar's attire one last time and nodded his approval.
"Go get her, Tiger."
-( scene break )-
Raven jerked and found herself back in her room.
"Were you in Nevermore again?"
Raven turned in the voice's direction and found herself staring into Jinx's cat like irises. The enchantress, along with Starfire, Kole and Karen were wearing the hideous dresses that maids and matrons of honor always wore.
"Were you?" Kole needled her.
"So what if I was?" She replied defensively
"Raven … you go to Nevermore … when you are … troubled." Starfire asked in her still halting English.
"Are you upset girl? You aren't getting cold feet, are you?" Karen asked.
Raven sat down on the edge of her bed and sighed.
"No, not cold feet … I'm just … worried."
"If it's any consolation Raven, I had butterflies in my stomach when I married Wally. Getting hitched is a big commitment after all."
"It's not that, Jinx."
"Then what is it?" Kole asked.
Raven shook her head, clearly in shame.
"It's pathetic actually … I just don't think I can make him happy … that's all."
Jinx laughed.
"Listen Raven, if you're worried that he doesn't enjoy making love with you, I'll let you in on a little secret … men always like it. They can even be ill and they still like it. Trust me girl, he'll be asking for it every night … I guarantee it. He hasn't given you any indication that he doesn't enjoy it, has he? Of course the real question is has he been able to satisfy you?"
"That's not what I'm talking about, Jinx."
"Oh, so no troubles in the bedroom, that's good."
"Actually, it hasn't been all that great."
Jinx stifled a laugh.
"You're kidding? How many times have you guys done it?"
"Twice."
"Just two times? No wonder you're nervous. Relax Raven, it'll be fine."
"I'm not worried about sex, Jinx; I'm half demon in case you've forgotten. Half my psyche is going berserk in anticipation of tonight."
"Then what are you worried about?" Jinx asked in a more serious tone. The expressions on the other three women's faces betrayed their concern as well.
Raven stood up and walked to the ceiling to floor windows in her old room and stared at the view outside. The sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The waters in the bay shimmered as the sunlight danced on them. It was the picture of bliss and tranquility, which was the exact opposite of how she was feeling at the moment.
"Will I be a good companion? Will I honor him as he honors me? Will I be able to keep my demonic anger and temper in check? Will I be … a good spouse?"
Starfire cleared her throat.
"Nobody is perfect Raven and … Gar knows this … he knows you … he knows who you are … he understands that you are not like me, or Kole, or Karen or Jinx … you are you … he knows you and he loves you … is that not enough?"
"I know, and it should be enough. But I know myself. I am darkness …"
"That's not true Raven." Kole interrupted. "Yes, there is darkness within you, but you are not darkness. We all have darkness within us."
Raven pondered their words.
"It's so hard … and so frightening to trust myself."
"But we trust you." Bumblebee remarked. "And so does your man and that means a lot. I should know, I lost, no, I threw away the trust of the man I love. Don't make that mistake Raven. You have a soul mate, few women are so lucky."
The clock on the wall chimed.
"It's time." Kole announced. "We'd better get going"
"Are you ready Raven?" Starfire asked.
Raven walked back from the windows to her friends.
"I am, thank you friends." She replied as she raised her hood.
"Oh no you don't. You're not getting married with your hood up." Karen bellowed.
"But I don't have a veil."
"You do not need one." Starfire replied as she placed a crown of flowers on her friend's head.
"There, that is much … better."
Raven turned once again to the mirror and looked. The ring of flowers was exquisite in both its colors and its simplicity. It was natural and unpretentious, yet it was also delicate and lovely. And that was when Raven noticed it: she looked beautiful and radiant. She looked like a bride. She smiled at her reflection before turning around.
"I'm ready Gar, I am so ready."
-( scene break )-
That wedding was held outdoors in a simple civil ceremony. The Doom Patrol was seated in the front row along with the Graysons. Cyborg was the best man and Nightstar levitated next to him, holding a velvet pillow that had the two wedding bands resting on them.
The ceremony was exceedingly brief, which was at Raven's request. No bridal procession was played. No one gave her away, as she insisted that she was giving herself away. The spurning of tradition did not go unnoticed by Rita, who grumbled to her spouse.
"I wasn't expecting a secular ceremony."
"Now dear, Raven isn't Catholic or even Christian. You weren't expecting them to have a wedding Mass now, were you?" Steve chided her.
"Maybe I was." She fumed.
"This was a compromise, Rita. Sure, they didn't get married in a church, but they also didn't get married in Raven's religion … whatever that is."
"I don't even want to think about it, she's a witch." She replied.
"Come on, that's not true, she's a nice girl. They're going to be happy together."
"I liked Bette Kane better."
"Flamebird? She's a flake and mediocre superhero as well. They only dated for a few weeks that summer, and that was years ago. He only likes her as a friend. It was nice of her to come to the wedding, but she would have been wrong for Garfield."
Rita sighed.
"It's OK Steve; I've come to terms with Raven being the mother of my grandchildren."
"Give her time; we'll learn to love her, you'll see."
Rita piped down just in time for the ceremony. Gar and Raven proceeded down the aisle together, arm in arm. Once they reached the justice of the peace, the Hon. Marcia Lewis, the ceremony began. The judge greeted the guests and gave a brief history of the vocation of marriage in western culture, after which she went straight into the minimal ceremony. The Chromatically Challenged Couple™ exchanged their vows of fidelity and permanence to each other, swearing to forsake all others and to remain together until they were separated by death. After the rings were placed on their fingers and they shared a tender kiss the judge announced:
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you Garfield and Raven Logan."
Rita raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, so his name was good enough to take after all." She grumbled under his breath.
"Let it go." Mento warned her in a quiet but dangerous voice.
Rita began to take pictures of the newlyweds exchanging their first kisses as husband and wife. Other cameras flashed while the entire assembly, which consisted of the extended Titans family and a legion of Justice Leaguers rose to their feet and began to applaud. Soon there was cheering and whistling.
Raven and Gar had their arms wrapped around each other while they soaked it all in. Raven smiled brightly as she watched her friends and comrades cheer and hoot their approval. She looked into her husband's green eyes.
"I love you." She whispered to him.
"I love you too, Mrs. Logan." He whispered back to her.
-( scene break )-
The reception was a more traditional affair. There was of course the ubiquitous multitier cake, complete with a gray bride and a green groom on top. Raven decided to be a good sport and went through with the local traditions: they cut the cake and fed each other a slice, Raven tossed her bouquet and Bumblebee caught it. And, to everyone's great surprise they shared the first dance, which they did with great aplomb and grace, after which they were joined in dance by most of their friends.
Vic was sitting alone at the table of honor, discussing when to start serving the dinner with the caterers when Bumblebee showed up and sat down next to him in a chair that was reserved for Kole. She waited patiently for the discussion to end.
"How're you doing Sparky?"
Cyborg kicked back in his oversized chair, putting his arms behind his head, and he smiled.
"Pretty good, actually. Star and I were able to get this all organized in just two weeks."
"I'll bet it wasn't easy."
"You got that right, but you know what the biggest problem was? Raven doesn't have any papers. No birth certificate, no passport, no nothing. And since Azarath was destroyed it's not like she could get a birth certificate from there. And without any means of legal identification … no marriage license. Fortunately Nightwing and the Justice League were able to pull some strings. The President granted Raven citizenship through an executive order and she was given a certificate of naturalization. Problem solved."
"How come I didn't hear about this?"
"We decided to keep it under wraps. Worse come to worse we would have had a mock ceremony and had it regularized later. But the last thing we wanted was for those vultures in their helicopters to find out."
Karen nodded her head.
"You're a good friend Sparky, you always have been."
"Well … I try." He grinned back at her. "So what's going on in your world?"
Karen suddenly became very quiet.
"Vic, I know that this is going to sound really pathetic …"
"What do you mean Karen?"
"After what I did to you, I have no right to ask this … but … will you take me back?"
Cyborg sighed.
"Are you sure that you want to be a robot's girlfriend?"
"You're not a robot. I know I said that when I dumped you, after cheating on you, but I was a stupid kid when I did that."
"You were also the leader of the Titans East."
"Yeah, I was, until they found out what I did to you. To this day they still won't talk to me. They won't even considering reforming the Titans East."
Cyborg gave her a very serious look.
"I don't know Karen. You really hurt me back then. I did forgive you and I'm OK with us being friends, but now you're asking me to trust you with my heart again …"
"I know, and I swear I'll be yours forever … I know I don't deserve your trust … just give me another chance … please?"
Cyborg closed his eyes. Deep down he knew he still loved her. And his lack of romantic success at Star Labs still haunted him. Part of him wanted to say yes, but he was still wounded, and not only by her past infidelity.
"Someone else hurt me not too long ago. I'm not saying 'no' Karen, but right now I'm not ready."
She took his metallic hand with her two smaller hands and placed it over her heart.
"Can you feel it Victor? It beats for you and no one else."
"Will you break my heart again? Remember Terra? She broke BB's heart 3 times; I know I couldn't handle that. I need someone I can trust, someone like …"
"Like Raven." Bumblebee completed his sentence. "Sparky, I can be like her, 100% reliable and true, please believe me, that mistake, it was an aberration. That won't ever happen again. I swear!"
Cyborg turned his head towards the improvised dancing floor that was in the middle of the common room. With his bionic eye he zoomed in on the Logans who were still slow dancing. He could see the happiness that they exuded and felt a twinge of jealousy. He knew that they were going to spend the next week together in a tropical paradise. He knew that they both suffered a great deal in their lives and he was genuinely happy for them, but their happiness also served to remind him that he was alone and unattached. Karen had matured into a very attractive woman and the thought of making love with her under the stars on a private beach was beginning to sound fairly enticing to him. He shook the thought away when he saw that they stopped dancing and shared a kiss as they headed back to the table. Cyborg watched as they returned.
"Hey, Tin Man, why aren't you dancing? You even have a pretty lady sitting next to you and she looks bored." Gar teased him.
Cyborg replied with a shy smile and he stood up. He offered his hand to Bumblebee and she eagerly accepted it. As they began to walk away to the dance floor he whispered to his dance partner.
"How about we restart the Titans East?" He asked her. "That could be our first step."
He saw a tear dripping down her cheek.
"I'd love to do that Sparky. Thank you."
Raven and Gar watched their friends enter the dance floor and join the others in the slow dance.
"What do you think Gar? Will they get back together?"
"I don't know, I guess I hope so. I know what it's like to be betrayed. You remember how I got when Terra pretended to not know me and then she told me to go away."
"Gar, I know I won't be a perfect spouse, but you know that I'll always be yours. I'll never break your heart. I swear by Azar herself."
He took her hand and squeezed it.
"I know."
He then gave her a sly grin.
"Rave, I think we've been here long enough. How about we slip away now and …"
"Do some consummating as husband and wife? I thought you'd never ask, Dr. Logan."
-( scene break )-
Phew! That was a long chapter! Let me know what liked best about it.
And now it's mail bag time.
Guest - "*my pen name is Demon Girl* NOOOOOOO! I DESPISE YOU CLIFFHANGER! Please update soon! (And I really hope Raven CAN have kids, she can do a way better job raising them than her own parents raised her) I already followed and favorite this (but you can't tell since a don't have an actual account but can fav and follow stuff on this fanfiction app) SO UPDATE PLEASE!"
Thanks! You should open a fanfic account, it's easy!
gabylokita41 - "U were right that was new still liked it a lot tho its a great story u have there loved it can't wait to see the other party :)"
BB's party was an even bigger disaster! Maybe they should have taken him to Disneyland.
titanfan45 - "Garfield did a fine job leading the team as always. Raven's bachelorette party was well done, especially when Wonder Woman defused a potentially bad situation fueled by alcohol. I believe this was the first time that Raven and Wonder Woman weren't at odds in one of your stories!"
I think you're right! Though that changed in this chapter
DeeThom - "I hate how Raven seems to be so easily convinced to do things. I know it's part of the story or whatever but I wish she'd be able to stick to her guns. Just something I've noticed with her and others, especially Bumblebee and Starfire."
I'd say that she stuck to her guns; she didn't give into peer pressure.
WishToBeUSomeday - "I wonder if ravens gonna say yes to wonder woman when she asked raven if she wanted to join the justice league omg cant wait till the next chapter!"
Well, now you know what she said.
Purplepox63010 - "Lol interested in joining the justice league. Hmmmm. Well. Yes."
It sounds like Raven is done with being a superhero. At least for now.
Bluedog197 - "DUDE to much for words my brain is at a stand still but awesome story nice party idea and how sweet beastboy is saving raven in his beast form great story and goodbye to the brotherhood. but keep it up dude cant wait to see what happens next."
They are pretty busy, aren't they?
The Cretin - "Is Control Freak a BBRae shipper on deck? Cause he was hilarious. I'm surprised about Kitten, but I never cared for Fang. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Raven does not partake in meaningless, casual sex. In fact, she's terrified of sex. She's the product of a demonic rape and that has forever left her with a scarred, see-saw view toward the subject. I do think it was in poor taste for her friends to think they could do that. It's heavily implied that Gar and Rae were intimate during Henderson's run on the Titans and if they were, then that means it literally took them years to get to that point even after they established romantic interest in each other. It's remarkable Gar showed that much restraint and consideration in canon. All in all, a great chap. I thought it was really well put together. Can't wait to read the next one."
Yeah, in the comics they were never clear about whether Raven and BB ever did the deed. They sure weren't shy with Grayson and Star, plenty of photo ops of them in the sack, but not a single one of BBRae!
TW - "Liked the party scene. Didn't see Kitten and Fang coming, maybe you should do a spin off about there story."
Hope you like BB's party too.
Death Stroke The Kid - "Wow, lots of twists in this chapter, kitten and fang for one was very interesting, but its nice to see Raven not even think about cheating. I hope the same goes for Gar"
I think Raven is very loyal, though I portrayed her as a cheater in the now defunct Carved in Stone, which I am going to rewrite some day. BTW, I did see a kid dressed as Deathstroke at Comic Con!
Anoymous136 - "It's interesting what you did with Diana's and The League's invitation since in the comics, Raven wasn't welcomed for the same reasons as Rita not liking her."
That's right! Which is why she helped found the New Teen Titans.
JOHNXgambit - "the SS DISASTER joke was in regards to rita and raven relationship,I have no doubt in my mind the story will rock. sure rita's reaction wasn't cool but its not surprising rita and mento are a don't miss sunday couple so when they hear their son is marrying a half demoness that is the physical embodiment of the sin pride and the daughter of the closest thing to satan then yes there's going to be some friction. I'm glad rita didn't break out the holy water and try an exorcism"
Rita is going to struggle with accepting Raven. Once Coraline is born (oops! did I say that?) Rita will warm up to her.
glittergurl022 - "Omfg I loved this chapter!"
I hope you loved this one too!"
Shadico - "There is no way Rae would say yes to that proposal...right? I mean, why would she? She has a nice life, and now gets to spend her time with Gar. They haven't even gotten married yet. If she did, she'd be an on-call grunt for the JL and really, what kind of post marriage relationship would that lead to if Gar was just being a regular civilian? Though if Gar were to get back into it as well, that'd probably be fine. Can't wait for the next chapter!"
You pretty much read my mind.
watchoutforfallingdinosaurs - "I love this story! Starfire is, as usual, the best friend that Raven could ask for. And I'm really excited to see where you take this Wonder Woman/JL twist!"
Unfortunately it was just a small side story, more of an artifact to illustrate Raven's devotion to Gar.
krostovikraven1 - "Poor Control Freak. bad timing to think about switching sides. ha, he even was happy that they were alive, specially Garfield."
Control Freak is obsessed with the Titans. I always got a feeling on the show that he really wants to be a member of the Team. As Aqualad pointed out, he acts more like a fanboy than an enemy.
Hairul The Nightrage Beast - "That's why never ever attend bachelor parties, oh and how nice of Diana to pop by and send Raven the invite to the JLA. Was surprised you forgot to add in Donna on the bachelorette party."
It was confusing enough with the three Batgirls. I have been wondering, what happened to Stephanie in the New 52 when Babs out the cowl back on?
discb - "That bit with Control's approval got me to laugh really hard."
I think he's the best OC bad guy on the show