Hey guys! Where the heck have I been? Well, it's been a crazy few months. Our family has been through the mill and I've been working through a bereavement and then things have been stressful at work. And now...well the UK is in chaos with COVID-19. I've taken a week off work and am isolating. So naturally, here I am ready to cheer us all up with the end of Everything Has Changed. I'll keep regularly updating it now until it's finished and then I've got some more stories for you.

I just wanted to add, I do hope you're all keeping safe. These are crazy times and we need to look out for one another. As ever, drop a review and let me know how you're doing! Review replies (very belated) at the end. Enjoy and keep smiling :)

Chapter seven

The fire was more impressive than the previous evening. It seemed everyone had gotten the hang of how to set it up to get the best flame. Rachel and Jenny sat huddled together under a blanket, looking over at the others drinking and laughing together. Wally was chatting to Richard, Kori and Gar as though they were old friends, and the others were up to their usual antics.

"Sorry I acted like a jerk before," said Jenny suddenly. Rachel looked at her.

"Don't worry about it. I get it."

"You...do?" asked Jenny, looking genuinely surprised. Rachel nodded and looked down at her hands.

"You deal with my shit every day. You're there for me through Wilson's rants, the brat brigade and beyond. I haven't seen these guys for over a year and I'm acting like the sun shines out of their backsides," she began, quietly. Her blue eyes flicked back up towards the shenanigans that were occurring on the other side of the pit. She gestured towards them. "As you can see, they are far from perfect."

Jenny snorted. "Yeah, that's totally not how you build a beer bong."

Rachel laughed then shook her head, trying to stay with her thoughts. "The point is they're important to me, Jen. But then so are you. One doesn't outweigh the other, you know what I mean?"

Jenny paused, fiddling with the edge of the blanket awkwardly. "Yeah, I guess so. I just never had a group of friends like this at school. Hell, I wasn't at school most of the time. I guess you're right. I was jealous and I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I need you here, Jenny. The fact you aren't part of the group makes it even more important."

Jenny quirked an eyebrow, looking over towards her friend. "Why, what's happened?"

Rachel sighed, feeling defeated. "I needed to tell someone what happened yesterday. I need someone to tell me what to do, because I'm so confused right now, I feel like I might explode."

Jenny twisted, the blanket falling from her shoulders. Her usually jovial expression had vanished and was replaced by a more serious one. "What's happened, sis? Tell me."

Rachel glanced around them, to ensure everyone was busy. Jenny did the same before huddling closer. Rachel whispered beneath her breath. "Something might have...kind of...happened between me and Gar."

"WHAT!" exclaimed Jenny, loudly. Rachel smacked her hand across her friends mouth and anxiously looked at the others. No one appeared to have noticed. Her friend's eyes were still wide with surprise, despite the hand firmly clamped to her mouth. Rachel fixed her with a glare.

"If I take my hand away and talk this through with you then you have to be quiet," hissed the brunette, firmly. "I've not told anyone, Jen. He and I haven't even talked about it yet, I'm trusting you to help me work through this, okay? So please. Can you be quiet?"

The pink pigtails bobbed as Jenny confirmed her friend's wishes. Rachel pulled her hand away from Jen's mouth slowly. The young woman breathed in shock. "What the hell, Rach? I thought you guys were friends. What happened to 'he's not flirting' and 'that's just the way we are'?"

"I know, I know. I'm not sure," replied Rachel, putting her head in her hands. "It's all a big mess."

Jenny let out a loud exhalation. "Look, I'm sure we can work this out. But you gotta tell me everything. I know how cagy you are about all this stuff, Rachel, but it has to come out. What in the hell is going on?"

Rachel sighed. She knew Jenny was right. In order to work through it, she needed to be honest about everything. All of it. However painful. She groaned. "Goddamnit, I hate it when you're right."

Jenny gave a sly smile. "Happens more often than you realise."

Rachel sighed again, running her hands through her long dark hair. She glanced anxiously towards the others again, but no one had changed position. It was now or never. "Okay, here we go. So, I've told you all about my childhood and my father so you know some of the story."

"Right, Daddy was a real demon and Mommy was dead."

"Thanks for being so sensitive and empathic with your words," said Rachel, shaking her head at her friend's clinical nature. Jenny shrugged and gestured for her to continue. "As you so eloquently put it, life at home sucked. But I found comfort at school with my friends. I met Richard first; we'd known each other since we were much younger, and we reconnected at middle school. Vic came onto the scene at that point and he and Richard were combative for a while. But eventually they became the best of friends, and so did we. The Stone family were very understanding of my situation; I can't count the amount of times they gave me shelter and food."

"Wow, that's pretty nice. Wish I'd had a rich family looking out for me," stated Jenny, dryly. Rachel gave her a sidelong glare, but she was smiling.

"Anyway, Kori joined when we were a little older and Richard fell for her straight away. It was a weird feeling having Rich that crazy over someone else and for a while I thought I might have been jealous. But then I realised, I was only jealous of what they had. Richard is like a brother to me. So, Kori and I became close, and the five of us..."

"The five of you?" interrupted Jenny, tapping Rachel on the temple. "Come on sweetie, even I can count to five. Richard, Vic, Kori, plus you. That makes four."

Rachel fell silent. She paused for a moment then shook her head slowly. "To be honest, I think I blanked out meeting Gar. Initially I did it to keep myself safe but when Kori and I spoke yesterday I realised something. I had actually supressed it."

"As in you couldn't remember?"

"As in I didn't want to remember," shrugged Rachel, rubbing her arm awkwardly. "I'm ashamed to admit it, but I think somehow I'd managed to bury my emotions and memories so deeply, I actually believed they didn't happen. How weird is that?"

"Woah," breathed Jenny, shaking her pink pigtails and rubbing her chin. "That's deep, sis."

"When Kori and I talked things through, it was like a cork coming out of a bottle. Suddenly, I remembered it all. Every last detail. Now I don't think I'll ever be able to forget it again. Not now that everything has...well, happened."

"So, what had you buried? I gotta know now!" exclaimed the pink-haired woman, excitedly. "It's like some drama or something."

"You're so thoughtful at times it astounds me," growled Rachel sarcastically, feeling even more awkward about the situation. Jenny wrapped her arm around her friend.

"Look, I'm trying to lighten the mood here, Rach. You know that you're dark and moody all the time. If I was the same then we'd both end up jumping into that firepit or something, whilst wailing and crying about a kingdom by the sea."

Rachel snorted. "I guess you're right. Well, I guess I've gone this far. I might as well tell you the rest. But please remember that this was the Rachel of twelve years ago, okay? I was an idiot back then."

"What do you mean 'back then'?! OW!" exclaimed Jenny, as Rachel's elbow found her rib. "Alright, alright. I get it, you were a dumb kid, sheesh."

"I first met Gar in the library of all places. He was always chattering on about some fact or other to do with nature. He was obsessed, in awe of it all somehow. At first, he drove me nuts. I was trying to sit quietly, engrossed in my novel and then BAM. There he was, every single day like clockwork. Disturbing me, making a nuisance of himself. I had to restrain myself from attacking him on more than one occasion just to shut the kid up. But then, things changed. I realised that he was trying to make me smile. Trying to make us friends, to get me talking. To build trust. He actually cared; for no reason other than he was a nice person. It was different with Vic and Kori; they came through Richard. Gar was my friend first, you know?"

"I can see what you mean. So, you introduced him to the rest?"

"Eventually. He and Vic became close straight away – despite their differences they have loads in common. Mostly those dumb video games, but hell they clicked. Rich and Gar didn't see eye to eye at first. I guess that's because Richard's too much like me. But now...well, I know they would take a bullet for each other. We were all so close. Others came into the group, but it was never quite the same. Then..."

"What, you all fall out or something?"

"Not exactly," shrugged Rachel. Her eyes were firmly staring at the fire, almost as though she was telling the story in a trance-like state. "I started to get weird feelings towards Gar. It was as though started to feel strongly towards him. Like how Richard and Kori felt about each other. Liking him but more than friends."

"You mean you got a crush on him?" laughed Jenny, amused by the way her friend was evading the subject. Her trance broken, Rachel turned towards the woman, her face like thunder.

"More than friends," she reiterated, folding her arms grumpily. She turned back to the fire and continued. "He made me feel like I was special. Like I wasn't weird or creepy. No, that's wrong. He knew I was weird and creepy but liked me anyway. It was nice; I'd never felt like that before. So, I confided in Kori about it, and she convinced me that Gar must feel the same way. I wasn't sure, and I was too scared to say anything. But it didn't come to that because it was too late."

"Dun dun dun!"

"Jenny, I could still throw you in the firepit, you know."

"Alright, alright! Carry on."

"Gar started seeing someone else. I...struggled," managed Rachel, twisting her hands awkwardly. She felt some tears coming to her eyes. "Tara was the new girl in school. She and I didn't see eye to eye, right from the get-go. But...Gar couldn't see it. He just couldn't see it at all. He liked her, and they got closer over the months. Tara didn't like mine and Gar's relationship one bit. So, the worst happened. He chose her over me."

Jenny's face softened, crumpled with a little pain. "Ouch."

"Ouch," agreed Rachel, shifting her weight around. "Tara ultimately infiltrated the group. But I never trusted her. I knew there was something off about her. I know what you're thinking; of course I wouldn't like her. But it was more than that. She was shifty and deceitful."

Rachel stopped and sighed. "Jen, I gotta tell you, this was one occasion where I hated being right. It turned out she was sleeping with one of the teachers at the school and she got transferred. Gar was devastated. He'd fallen so hard. So, I did the only thing I could do."

"Buried the past and played the role of best friend?"

Rachel gave a grim smile. "Was it really that obvious?"

"Duh," replied Jenny, a small smile on her face. "You really care about him, huh?"

"I did. I do," amended Rachel, her eyes faltering. She sniffed and looked back at the fire. "I'd buried it so deeply that playing the role of best friend became normal. So normal that the idea of anything else seemed strange."

"Yeah, I can see that. Also, dangerous."

Rachel tilted her head, looking at her friend sidelong. "Dangerous?"

"Well yeah. I mean, once bitten twice shy, right? You probably were too scared to do anything in case he hurt you again."

Rachel paused, thinking about her friend's words. She couldn't deny it, she had just never acknowledged it before. It would explain many of her conflicting feelings. "I guess you're right. But it didn't matter because we all finished school and headed for college. And you know what happened next."

"Mal," sighed Jenny, placing her hand on Rachel's shoulder gently and giving a squeeze. "You met Mal."

"I met Mal," nodded Rachel, tucking her knees up to her chin. "He was so charming. He swept me off my feet. Made me feel like a princess. But it was all manipulation. I was only a puppet to him, just as I had been to my father. It was like history repeating itself all over again. For the time I was with him, Mal didn't let me have any other friends. I lost contact with all of them. Every single Titan. They tried, believe me. But he always blocked them at every turn. Even Gar. Especially Gar."

"Really?" asked Jenny, surprised at the level of emotional abuse her friend had endured. Rachel had only ever spoken briefly about Mal in the past and Jenny had known he had been unpleasant, but she realised now the damage that had been done. "I'm sorry that happened to you, Rach."

"Me too," sighed Rachel, shrugging her shoulders in defeat. "I think Mal knew on some level that Gar was the only one who would get through to me. And one day, he did. All of them did. They turned up on my doorstep and staged an intervention. Mal showed his true colours that day and they all stood up for me; each and every one of them. They rescued me. I fell into a pretty deep depression for a while after, but Gar talked me round. We were closer than ever. It's been that way ever since. But nothing more."

"So, you guys never crossed the line?"

"Never ever," answered the brunette, honestly. "Just best friends. He and Tara danced their dance over the years, and I was there for him. I fell into a few men's beds, but it never progressed. I never wanted it to progress. After Mal I was sworn off relationships for life."

"Understandably," said Jenny, empathy lining her voice. "What an asshole."

"Yeah. He was. But he won," replied Rachel, her voice suddenly small. "He got what he wanted. I never dated anyone else, so in some sick way I'll always be his."

"That's not true, sis," shot back Jenny, her voice firm. "Look, you can't bounce back from trauma like that. I know, believe me. You know my record for relationships ain't the best."

"Hey, you said it, not me."

"Well it's true. I'm not embarrassed to admit it. I don't like feeling that I'm not in control, you know? Everyone always controlled me before. I said, never again. I mean, I know I act tough, Rach. But deep down I was scared, just like you. Then Wally..."

The pink-haired woman trailed off, her eyes wandering into his direction. A strange smile came over her. "He's different. He treats me right. Like you said about Gar, he likes me not despite my flaws but because of them."

"You really like him, don't you?" said Rachel, resting her elbow on her knee. Jenny's face became red, and her defences rose so quickly it was almost palpable.

"Yeah, well. I mean, he's okay or whatever. It's still early days."

"Come on, we're having a moment here."

"If you say so," replied Jenny, folding her arms and wrinkling her nose childishly. "As I recall we weren't talking about me."

"As I recall, I never brought your relationship up."

"Hmph," grumbled Jenny, defeated at last. "Fine. Well, whatever. Carry on."

"I mean, that's pretty much it. Up until the present day. We moved in together as friends and..."

Rachel trailed off. She didn't know how to explain the next part to her friend. It was delicate. It was a memory that left her feeling vulnerable and unsure. She didn't want to be judged. To be—

"You banged him, didn't you?"

Rachel rolled her eyes so hard they nearly popped out of her skull. "Really, Jenny?"

"Oh, alright, fine. Made love, slept with, had relations. Copulated, fornicated, were intimate."

"Jesus, Jenny. How many synonyms for sex do you know?"

"I've never counted," grinned Jenny, wickedly. "But quite a few."

Rachel laughed; her friends obnoxious, insensitive patter had once again broken the ice. "I really don't know how to answer that."

"Well? Did you or didn't you?"

Rachel paused. She was being truthful, after all. "Yes. We did."

"I knew it!" exclaimed the pink-haired woman, brightly. "So, what are you guys together now or what? Ooh, we could do double dates!"

"Woah, slow down there," protested Rachel, feeling a bit sick at the idea. "Nothing's been decided. That's why you're here."

Jenny blinked at her blankly for a few beats. "You wanted relationship advice...from me?!"

"Don't look so surprised," replied Rachel, playing with her dark hair. "I don't know what to do, Jen. I don't want to ruin our friendship; it's a massive risk and I'm not even sure it's what I want. But..."

"But what?"

"Ugh, I don't know. I guess it is what I want at the same time."

"You are a walking contradiction, Rach. You know that?"

"I do," admitted Rachel, putting her head in her hands again. "He's being so nice about it even now. He said that I meant a lot to him. But if last night was all it was to be then he respected me enough to let it go."

"Wow. He's definitely a keeper."

"What do you mean?"

"Girl, are you for real?" asked Jenny, her eyes wide. She sighed deeply. "Huh, and I thought I was bad at this stuff. Okay, let's break it down here. You guys have been best friends forever. Then, the barrier was crossed in a way that I'm guessing was consensual and happy, right?"

"Yeah, that's fair."

"Then he doesn't do anything to freak you out, like confess his endless love or put pressure on you. Knowing how you might react he puts the power in your hands to decide. Don't you see it?"

"Um, no?" replied Rachel, quirking her eyebrow in curiosity. "What are you getting at?"

"He was trying to be the opposite of Mal. He was letting you have the power to decide. Showing his respect. Showing he wouldn't hurt you. Because he clearly cares about you as more than just a one-night stand. Make sense?"

Rachel listened to her friend's words, a pensive look on her face. Actually, it made a lot of sense. Gar was really messed up over her relationship with Mal. He didn't like to talk about it, because somehow he held himself personally responsible for Rachel getting hurt. The brunette felt shame creeping over her. How could she not have seen this on her own? The words would not come to her head quickly enough. "Oh."

"Yeah, you really are an idiot."

"So, what do I do now?"

"Don't ask me! Ask yourself. What do you want to do?"

Rachel looked at Jenny's inquisitive face. She felt unsure about the whole situation, even at this juncture. But part of her wanted to try. She wanted to explore these feelings. And another part of her knew that she couldn't go back. That settled it; she needed to talk to Gar.

"Tomorrow," smiled Rachel, staring into the fire with more purpose. "I'll talk to him tomorrow."

The evening had played out just as Rachel had imagined and she fell into bed feeling exhausted. There was a strange twist in her stomach as she glanced over her shoulder and remembered the person who had shared the bed with her the previous evening.

Gar.

Everything seemed clearer since her conversation with Jenny. She wanted to try and make this work, somehow. She needed to tell him the truth about everything. Rachel closed her eyes, pulling the comforter closer to her face and trying to drift into sleep. It wasn't long before troubled dreams clouded her mind.

"You'll never be anything," came a dark voice that she recognised well. "You're pathetic – a waste of space. I wish you'd never been born."

SMACK.

Rachel reeled backwards, sprawling on the floor. She looked at her torn clothes and the unfamiliar place she used to call 'home'. Her father advanced towards her, his amber eyes flashing menacingly. "You make me sick, Rachel. All of this is your fault. Your mother's death, it's your fault."

"No," Rachel found herself whispering, although a nagging feeling in her told her this wasn't real. "Please."

"You wretched, pitiful child. Get up."

"No..."

"Get up and face me," growled her father, looming over her like a great presence. The young girl scrambled to her feet, clutching herself in fear. His voice softened but it was laced with a sweetness that made it feel sinister. "Good girl, Rachel."

She winced, as he came closer to her face, twisting herself away from his grasp. Her breath was rasping, her face stinging with the pain of his attack. Her father gripped her chin and turned her roughly to face him. He had a smirk on his face that was demonic. "No one will ever love you. You are unlovable. You are worthless."

Tears were streaming down her face, as she stared at him wordlessly and defiantly. His words rippled over her, making her feel nauseous. Then, a sudden strength came within her. She pushed him backwards hard. "NO!"

The man tumbled, falling backwards. He laughed maniacally, staring up at her with his unnaturally glowing eyes. Rachel advanced, feeling her anger bubbling within. "My friends think I'm worth something. They love me for who I am."

"You believe them, how sad."

"I believe that the only worthless person here is you. You are a waste of space and a waste of time and..."

Rachel paused, looking down at her fuzzy hands. She blinked and took a deep breath.

"And this isn't real. I want to wake up now. You've taken up enough of my time, father."

"Rachel, wait—"

"Goodbye," replied the girl, turning and walking towards the door. The scene faded and filtered away until it was black.

Rachel's eyes fluttered open as daylight streamed into her small room. She looked urgently down at her hands. They were solid, and as she laced her fingers together to double check, she realised that it really had all been a dream. A dream that she had experienced several times; although the ending was usually different. Not this time. Not ever again.

"Bastard," she grumbled, burying her head into the pillow. "I won't let you do this to me anymore."

Pushing the covers away and rising to her feet, she walked to the window. Although the sun was up, Rachel could tell that it was early. She adjusted her eyes to the light, and saw a silhouette sitting outside looking across the scenery.

"Gar," she muttered, her fingers lightly brushing the window. She scrunched her face up, wondering why he was awake at this hour. Sighing, she decided that now was as good a time as any to take the plunge and started to pull on her jeans. She needed to show her father once and for all that the past was over. She needed to show herself that she was capable of something more. Worth something more. Taking a deep breath, she padded to her door and slipped into the still dark corridor.

"Gar?"

The young blond jumped slightly at the sound of her voice. He turned, his green eyes locking onto hers. A warm smile crept over his features. "Oh, morning Rae. You startled me."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to," replied the brunette, pushing her hair out of her eyes and awkwardly rubbing her arm. "I can go back in if you want to be alone."

"No, don't be silly. Come and sit down," replied Garfield, patting the empty seat beside him on the bench. "It's beautiful here at this time of day."

Rachel wrapped her coat around herself and gently perched next to him. She allowed herself a moment to scan the landscape. The rays of the morning sunshine were kissing the foliage; lighting up various points and leaving others in shade. A small rabbit was chewing the grass at the end of the garden and the birds were proudly singing their morning chorus. Her breath blew white wisps; the air was still cool despite the sun's presence.

"You're up early," said Gar, suddenly. His eyes were still fixed on the backdrop, but there was a concern in his voice. "Well, earlier than usual. Everything okay?"

"Bad dream," replied Rachel, honestly. She shrugged, pulling her coat round her tighter still. "I could say the same to you."

"Couldn't sleep," replied the young man, running a hand through his messy blond curls. "Too much on my mind."

"Like what?" asked Rachel, curiosity getting the best of her. Gar laughed and turned to look at her.

"I think you might have a pretty good idea."

Rachel snorted lightly, her eyes faltering to look down at her hands. "Sorry we didn't speak much yesterday."

"It's fine. I guessed it might be a bit difficult with everyone around," admitted Garfield, his green eyes flashing in the morning sunshine. "When Jen and Wally showed up, I guessed we wouldn't get any time alone. Besides, you said needed time to think and I wanted to give you that space."

"Thank you, I did," nodded the young woman, her eyes still fixed on her pale fingers. "But I still feel like I left you hanging."

"A little, but it's okay. Honestly. We don't have to talk about it yet, if you don't want to."

"I do want to," sighed Rachel, her blue eyes flickering back upwards. She bit her lip, suddenly tense. "If you still want to, that is."

"Of course," smiled Gar, his lopsided grin making her stomach melt suddenly. How had she forgotten how handsome he was? She tried to clear her mind. She knew she needed clarity in this moment. He was staring at her evenly, waiting patiently. "You want to go first?"

"Not really, but I will. You told me that what happened between us meant a lot to you."

"It did," nodded Gar, his eyes filled with questions. But he allowed her to speak, trying to sit tolerantly by her side. She smiled at him gratefully before continuing.

"Well, it meant a lot to me too. More than a lot, actually."

Rachel paused, biting her lip and staring at him imploringly. "I think that, on reflection, I may have...have some feelings for you. Beyond friendship."

Gar tilted his head, a warm smile still on his face. Rachel could feel heat creeping up her neck, a strange sense of shame at her admission. It was as though it was wrong somehow. The memory of him being her best friend and nothing more was still pushing its way forward in her mind. But she needed to do this.

"It's just that I'm not...I'm not great at all this stuff. Not since..."

The young woman trailed off, her hands finding her eyes as she tried to push back the tears. She centred herself, pushing the words out before she lost them. "Not ever really. I guess what I'm saying is that I'm complicated. I'm not sure I'm cut out for relationships."

"Rachel."

His voice was like a soft blanket wrapping around her, soothing her soul. She pulled her hands away and looked at him. His eyes were filled with kindness and compassion. "It's not a surprise that you struggle with relationships, you know. You've been through a lot. But saying you're not cut out for them is nonsense."

"Gar—"

"I'm not saying that because of the other night; what happens here does not change on what I'm about to say. You can't shut yourself off from happiness just because of what happened in the past, no matter how terrible. You deserve to be happy, Rae. You deserve it more than anyone else I know."

He paused, shaking his head as though he was in disbelief that she couldn't see it for herself.

"Despite everything you've been through, you're still here. You're still standing tall; a survivor. You've beaten the odds to get here today, and now you've dedicated your life to trying to support others that are going through that same shit you did. Do you even realise how amazing you are?"

"I'm not amazing," countered Rachel, her cheeks burning at his words. She shook her head; she didn't cope well with compliments. "I'm just me, Gar."

"And you are special. I know it, Rach. Even if you can't see it. And all of those people in there," Gar paused, gesturing to the house. "They know it too. That's why we all love you. Because you're just you. That's enough. Being you is enough for us."

Rachel smiled, feeling the warmth of his affection radiating towards her. "You're all crazy. Especially you, Logan."

"Maybe. But I can live with that," grinned Garfield, his wonky tooth protruding as it always did when he gave a wide smile. "What I can't live with is not having you in my life. Whether you want to discuss what's gone on between us or whether you want to go back to normal...I don't care. I just want you in my life. I need you, Rachel."

Her heart fluttered at his words, her inhibitions suddenly melting away. "Do you mean that?"

Gar reached out, his hand tenderly grazing her cheek as he tucked her dark hair behind her ear. "With every single fibre of my being."

Rachel nuzzled into his hand, enjoying the warmth of his touch. Everything felt so right, so balanced in the world. Something this right couldn't be bad, could it?

To hell with it all.

In that moment, the young woman wanted to throw caution to the wind. She had spent too long trying to work this out, her instincts were screaming at her to take control. Her eyes found his and she tried to convey everything she felt without words. She was sick of words anyway.

Gar's eyes creased at the corners as he smiled, understanding lighting his face. Rachel leaned forward, her nose brushing his gently. Her breath still wisped white air as her mouth pressed slowly towards his. His lips felt warm, despite the cool air around them. Her arms wrapped around his neck as Gar pulled her closer to him. Time seemed to tick to a standstill as they truly found each other for the first time.

Rachel tilted forward, her mouth waving near his; her blue eyes asking for permission. Gar responded immediately, kissing her so gently and sweetly she thought that her soul might set alight. It wasn't as fervent or passionate as the night they had spent together, but it conveyed so much more. All of the fear, the apprehension melted away in his arms. Rachel knew in that moment it was where she was meant to be. Where she wanted to be. And she never wanted to let go.

They spent some time locked in each other's embrace, watching the sun rise high into the sky. As the air warmed, they quietly decided to return to the house. Rachel felt she was walking on the clouds rather than the grass below her. It was as though she was sixteen again; her emotions felt so rampant and wild. She swallowed, looking at him sidelong. Gar sensed her eyes on him and turned to look at her. He smiled, his hand brushing hers and then finding her fingers. Rachel's heart leapt as he entwined their fingers together. Forget the clouds, it was as though she could soar into outer space and beyond.

She returned his smile, squeezing his hand tightly. There was still so much to say, so much to share. But that moment had been so precious and so special. She wanted to treasure every second of it.

The kitchen was silent; the others clearly hadn't stirred yet. Rachel routinely walked to the kettle and flicked it on. Gar sat on the stool, watching her automatic movements with fascination. She turned, noticing he was staring at her as she poured the water onto the bag. Her cheeks coloured almost instantly. "What?"

"Nothing," he replied, a bemused expression on his face. "It's just...everything looks different this morning."

Rachel snorted lightly, putting the kettle down and lifting her mug dramatically. "I'm still the same old me."

Gar smiled wider. "Yeah, I know."

Rachel raised her eyebrow at him inquisitively as she sat down opposite him. Gar's hand moved towards hers again, his thumb absently running back and forth over her knuckles. She blinked, her eyes full of excitement and fear. This was really happening, he wanted this too. Could they really make it work? Suddenly, there still seemed a lot to say. Rachel licked her lips anxiously.

"Gar—"

"Morning guys," came a voice from the doorway, as Richard rounded the corner into the kitchen. Gar moved his hand away gently, trying to make it look natural.

"Morning, dude!"

"You're up early," said Richard, gesturing to them both. His eyebrow raised, curiously. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," replied Rachel, catching Garfield's eye. He was still smiling at her in that strange way. She blinked and turned back towards Richard. "Yeah, everything's fine."

Richard paused, looking between the two of them as though he wanted to say something. But he seemed to think better of it and shook his head, before walking to the coffee machine and flicking it on. Rachel giggled behind her fingers, as Gar winked at her conspiratorially. They didn't need to tell anyone yet. She wanted to savour this feeling for a little while longer. Suddenly there was a buzzing noise. The blond looked down to his phone screen and scowled. "Ugh. Sorry, I have to take this."

Rachel looked at him curiously. Who would be phoning at this time in the morning? It was barely after eight on a Sunday. Surely not work again? Bravery overtook her, and the question erupted from her mouth quietly. "Who's calling?"

Gar looked up at her in surprise, his mind trying to catch up. His expression hardened, abruptly. "It's just work."

"On a Sunday?"

"Yeah," nodded Gar, his tone brief and clinical. He stood to his feet and started walking back towards the garden. "Excuse me, guys. I'll be right back."

Rachel felt her stomach twist slightly, a nausea overwhelming her. Why was he lying to her? She could sense that he was. It seemed even more of a betrayal given what had happened not hours ago. But she knew she needed to trust him. Sighing, she looked down into her steaming mug and sat quietly. Richard took a seat next to her. His hand found her shoulder and he squeezed.

"I'm sure he won't be long," he reassured, quietly. "You sure you're okay, Rach?"

Rachel closed her eyes and nodded. "I'm fine, Rich."

"Listen, you know you can always talk to me? I'm always here for you," Richard continued, his calm tones washing over her. "Kori too."

Rachel looked at him, her blue eyes shining with gratitude. "I know you are. But I'm honestly fine. I think I'm just overthinking things, as usual."

Replies:

Kairu-Blackstar: Lots of Jinx for you in this chapter. I've enjoyed writing a Raven/Jinx friendship, different for me as I'm usually all about Raven/Starfire friendship! Glad you're enjoying it!

GolemXIV: Oh you do, do you? Well we shall see... :) I hope I haven't left you waiting for too long - more content on the way, promise! Thanks as ever for being generally all round awesome.

AwesomeRockstar101: Aww, shucks. I hope you're still reading and you enjoy!

Miss Geek: I'm all about the drama, but a sucker for a happy ending! :D

Anonymoose: Thanks so much. I'm sorry I left you dangling but life needed me. I'm back now, promise and have tons more content for you.

Bloop: Hope you enjoyed! :D

Guest: Ahh, we shall see if you're right :D Jen and Wally need their own series! Maybe I'll write a special ending chapter for you about them. Watch this space!

RavenOfAzarath02: Sweet and frustrating - I like it! Angsty til I die, haha. Hope you enjoy and keep reading!

Wiceriene: I know *hangs head in shame* I've been absent. But I promise I'm back and it will be finished! I got you, promise! :D

Just a general comment to say thank you all for your continued patience, if you're still here! Regular updates will resume :)

-Chibi