Hey guys - back as promised! Thanks for the kind reviews, the replies are at the end. How you all holding up? Thankfully my family and I are still staying safe. Thinking of you all - here's a chapter to cheer your day. Buckle up, it's a biggie.

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans or any characters from the DC Universe.

Chapter eight

Everyone was gathered in the garden for a final goodbye breakfast. Rachel was suddenly hit with a deep grief that she probably wouldn't see everyone together like this again for some time. She paused, wondering how different things would be the next time that they all met. Everyone was gathered around the firepit, although it wasn't lit, eating and talking amicably. Suddenly, someone cleared their throat.

Rachel turned; her tea in her hand, the steam steadily rising. Richard was standing up and looking unusually uncomfortable. The young woman cocked her head, her blue eyes narrowing at his actions. He cleared his throat again, another sure sign that he was nervous. All of the 'Titan' group were looking up at him curiously.

"So, before we go there was just one thing I wanted to do. We've all been friends since we were kids," began the young man, his voice wavering slightly. He straightened himself, trying to hide his anxiety. "But now we're adults. I have to say that spending the weekend with all of you reminded me how much I still value each and every one of you."

He smiled, eyes roaming around the group until they landed on Kori. She beamed at him, her face full of love and happiness at his words. It was clear she shared his sentiments. Richard continued, eyes never leaving hers. "Kori, we've been together now for ten years. I can't believe that you put up with me for that long."

"Neither can we," shouted Karen, the rest of the group descending into chaos. Rachel chuckled lightly behind her fingers and placed her tea down, as Richard's face reddened slightly.

"Thanks for your support guys," he muttered, a smile on his own face. "But seriously. I feel like the luckiest guy in the world. So, I wanted to ask you something now, in front of all of the people we love most in the world."

Rachel felt her stomach twist, his anxiety seeping across to her. She watched dumbstruck as he dropped to one knee and produced a box from his pocket. Sweat was beading his hairline, as he looked imploringly at the redheaded woman. Her eyes were so wide and glittering they looked like jewels in the sunlight.

"Will you marry me, Kor?"

Kori launched herself at the man, knocking him clean over and landing on top of him. She was crying and giggling all at once, kissing him over and over. Eventually, she opened her eyes, a wide grin on her beautiful face.

"Yes, Richard. I will marry you!"

Rachel smiled, folding her arms and leaning against the nearby wall as everyone cheered and hugged each other. Gar wandered over, a deep toothy grin on his face. He leaned next to her, giving her a slight nudge with his elbow. Rachel raised her eyebrows at him, a small smile still on her face. Their eyes met for a moment, but Gar hesitated, as though he wanted to say something.

"What?" said Rachel, nudging him back. There was a strange knot in her stomach that she just couldn't shift. Gar bit his lip, his green eyes hazing over. Rachel swallowed, her throat feeling suddenly dry. "Aren't you happy for them, Gar?"

"Of course I am, Rae!" exclaimed the young man, his voice becoming unstuck for a moment. He paused, running his hand through his hair and taking a deep breath. "There's just...there's something I want to talk to you about."

Rachel's heart began to thump in her chest. Was this about the phone-call earlier? Maybe something was wrong...maybe he'd changed his mind about what had happened.

Maybe he didn't want to be with her after all.

"Did I...do something wrong?" managed Rachel, her voice shaking slightly. There was a strange humming behind her ears that was contrasting with the excitement of their friends. It was making her feel dizzy. Gar's eyes widened, with a sudden realisation of the young woman's words.

"No! Rachel, you didn't do anything wrong. This is about me," Gar began, taking her hand lightly in his own. Rachel felt a strange conflict of emotions; elation at his touch but a deep fear at his words.

"Then what—"

"It's difficult to explain," interrupted Gar, his eyes faltering and falling to the floor. "I wanted to try, but maybe this isn't the right place."

Rachel glanced over at the celebrating couple and suddenly came back to reality with a bump. "Oh. Right."

"Sorry, Rach. I shouldn't have said anything."

"It's fine," mumbled the brunette, retracting her hand from his a little more sharply than she had intended. "You're right. We need to be there for them now."

"Yeah," agreed Gar, looking a little awkward at her unexpected change in tone. He blinked at her. "So...when we get home then?"

Rachel felt her heart starting to pound again. She pulled her barriers up abruptly, folding her arms again and nodding. "Yeah, okay. When we get home."

She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. Why had she let herself be vulnerable again? This relationship business...it wasn't for her. Maybe she had made a mistake. Perhaps it was better left alone.

Before her thoughts could continue to unravel, she made eye contact with Kori. The redhead let out a sudden squeal and rushed towards her friend. Rachel managed to unfurl her arms at the last moment as she was slammed against the brick wall. Her breath left her lungs, and a few tears leaked from her eyes. She wasn't certain whether they were in happiness or sorrow.

"Congratulations, Kor," she said, gently rubbing her hands up and down her friend's back. "I'm so happy for you both."

"Friend is it not wondrous?" replied Kori, her voice muffled by Rachel's hair. She pulled away; eyes gleaming brightly, tears brimming at the surface. As their eyes met, Rachel felt her spirits lifting. It was nice to sap some of Kori's happiness for a few moments. The young woman let it wash over her, tucking a strand of hair behind Kori's ear.

"Totally wondrous," agreed Rachel, still smiling. Kori beamed so widely, her eyes all but vanished. Richard had appeared at their side and wrapped his arms around them both. Rachel reached over, giving her oldest friend a rudimentary sideways hug. His deep voice tickled her ear as he whispered.

"Everything ok? You look upset."

"Fine, Rich. Just happy for you guys."

As they pulled away from their embrace, his blue eyes looked at her imploringly. It was clear that he didn't believe what she had said, and concern lined his face for a moment. Rachel tried to give a reassuring smile, but it came out more like a grimace. Her intense stare signalled one statement clearly.

'Don't you dare ask again.'

Richard nodded in return; he knew Rachel well enough to know when to back off. But he squeezed her arm reassuringly and smiled once more to communicate his own non-verbal response.

'You know where I am.'

"Oh friends!" exclaimed Kori, causing them both to turn sharply towards her. "You are all so wonderful and I am so happy to be here with you in this moment."

Gratitude. Kori practiced it in a way unlike anyone else Rachel had ever met. A genuine smile came upon her lips once more, as she mumbled in agreement. Everyone gathered around, words of congratulations lining the air and whoops of excitement.

"Hey, Rich!" said Victor, his voice booming over everyone else's. "We better all be invited to the wedding, man."

"Invited?" shot back Richard, smirking at his famous friend. "Are you kidding me? You're all helping."

More excited whoops and squeals from the group. Richard nodded before continuing. "I think all of you should be involved."

Kori nodded so vehemently, it seemed as though her head would fly off. "Absolutely! You are all dear, dear friends and must be part of the day."

"Aw, yeah! Titans forever!" exclaimed Victor, jumping around in excitement. Karen and Malcolm joined in, spinning in a circle. Everyone began to laugh, their voices tinkling away into the mountain air. The sound lingered for a moment, and Rachel suddenly realised that it wasn't tinkling laughter she was hearing anymore.

It was ringing.

She turned towards Gar. He was staring at his phone, a mixture of concern and confusion written all over his face. Rachel softly broke away from Kori, walking towards him. She needed to know now. She couldn't wait until they got home. She thought about what she needed to say, what she wanted him to know. What she wanted to ask him. Formulated complex conversations in her mind in a nanosecond.

But within a moment they were all forgotten. Her eyes landed on the handset and she saw a name flashing on the screen.

Tara.

"Rachel, wait!"

The brunette wasn't listening anymore. She was pushing through the group trying to find Jenny. Seeing the familiar pink-hair bobbing in the background she grabbed hold of her friend's arm firmly.

"Ow!" exclaimed Jenny, turning with a punch readied in her other hand. Her eyes softened immediately as she saw Rachel's tear-filled eyes. "Rach? What's wrong?"

"Need to go home now," growled Rachel, her voice low. "Can Wally drive us?"

Wally had turned and heard the final comment. The wide smile vanished from his face as he saw the young woman's pleading expression. "Sure thing, Rachel. You want to go now?"

"Yes, right now," nodded Rachel, pulling Jenny towards the house. "I need my bag."

"Okay, Rach. Look, you go and get in the car. I'll grab your things and we'll meet you there, okay?" said Jenny, her voice firm. Her light eyes were narrowed, full of questions. Rachel nodded as Wally handed her the keys. She fled from the room, heading out to the car. She heard confused voices behind her, but as the tears rushed to her eyes she just didn't care anymore.

He was talking to Tara. This whole time, whilst everything was happening. The betrayal stabbed at her chest again, and she felt sick as she unlocked the sports car and leapt inside. In the metal bubble she felt safe. The adrenaline started to fade, and she became acutely aware of the pounding in her head. How could this be happening to her again?

Rachel closed her eyes, trying to drown the world out and meditate. But it wasn't working. Her brain was so distracted with different thoughts and feelings. She sighed, lying down onto the leather seats so she was out of sight. Guilt hit her as she realised she hadn't even said goodbye to everyone. But in that moment, she didn't care. She just wanted to run away.

Far, far away.

The doors opened, causing the young woman to jump and sit bolt upright. Jenny and Wally piled into the car and she handed them the keys silently. As the engine roared into life, they made their way out of the cabin's entrance. She let the tears come. Before she knew it, she was sobbing. Wally didn't turn his head, but Jenny's eyes met hers and she sobbed harder.

Her friend reached across and touched the young woman's hand softly. "Rachel."

Rachel couldn't speak. She felt stupid. She felt angry. She felt intensely sad. But most of all, she felt pain. So, she let the tears come, and ignored that niggling voice that kept telling her this was what she deserved. After some time had passed Jenny tried again, her voice low and gentle.

"Rachel. What's going on? What's happened?"

Rachel shook her head. She didn't want to say it. She couldn't.

"You can talk to me," pressed Jenny, her eyes sincere. "Please tell me what's wrong."

"G-gar," stammered Rachel, her eyes flowing freely. "T-tara."

Jenny's eyes flashed anger. "I see. How did you find out?"

"S-she was c-calling him. He's been acting weird all m-morning."

"That sneaky, cheating son of a—"

Wally cleared his throat, causing Jenny to stop in her tracks and take a deep breath. Wally looked over at Rachel through the rear-view mirror. "Rachel, do you want me to take you home?"

Rachel paused. She wasn't certain where else to go. Jenny followed her thought process. "Hey, you can always bunk down on my floor."

Rachel smiled at her friend, wiping a few tears from her face. Her breathing slowed as she calmed down. "I appreciate it, Jen. But this isn't just going to go away, is it? I need to go home and sort out a few things before I do anything rash."

"Still sensible, huh?" smirked Jenny, her mirth returning. "Too sensible if you ask me. I'd be cutting up his clothes. Better yet, cutting off his—"

"JENNIFER," shouted Wally, fixing her with a glare. He blinked then looked back at Rachel. "Maybe Rachel needs to work this out in her own way."

Jenny sighed in defeat. "Yeah, you're right. But you know where I am if you need to come over later, okay?"

"Thanks, both of you," replied Rachel, seeing the familiar signposts to Jump City coming into view. "I'm sorry to have dropped that on you. I've messed everything up."

"Not at all," said Wally, cheerfully. "We got a free stay in an awesome mountain lodge retreat and made some new friends. I'd say that's a win-win."

Jenny smiled fondly at Wally, before squeezing her friend's hand then letting go. She turned in her seat, facing out of the front window. "What he said."

Rachel nodded, her eyes turning to look out of the side window in thought.

'Deal with it in my own way?'

Maybe Wally was onto something after all.

As the sportscar whizzed off with Jenny waving from the window and blowing kisses, Rachel pulled her bag onto her shoulder and made for the apartment block. Her feet were moving on their own, her mind still numb and buzzing with thoughts.

As she entered the elevator, she punched the number pad and rested her head against the mirror as she heard the floors dinging by. What a mess. How had it all got to be so complicated?

As the doors opened, Rachel looked in surprise at the corridor. She'd hit the wrong floor. This was the sixth floor. She blinked, astonished at her own mind. Had she unconsciously come here, or...

Her feet moved her again. Rachel was halfway down the corridor before she realised she was knocking on Garth's door with urgency. There was movement inside and she heard the click as he came into view.

"Rachel?" he said, looking surprised at her somewhat dishevelled appearance. "What's going on? I thought you were in the mountains this weekend with your friends."

"I was," mumbled Rachel, feeling suddenly uncertain as to what she was doing. She scuffed her feet awkwardly. "Now I'm not."

"Okay," replied Garth, sounding equally unsure. He paused. "Do you...want to come inside?"

Rachel nodded dumbly and walked past him into the apartment. Her eyes were trained on the ground, her body still moving on autopilot. She heard another click as Garth closed the door. His scent lingered in her nose as he walked past her into the kitchen and flicked on the coffee machine. Rachel dawdled, playing with her hands and wondering what was happening right now. She had just run out on Gar, left him after everything that had happened. After everything they had shared. And now she was here in another man's apartment.

The tears were only a moment away. She felt one rolling down her nose and dripping onto the floor. Then another. Then another. Before she knew it, she was sobbing again. She pulled her hands up to her face, feeling ashamed and vulnerable.

"Rachel," came the deep soothing tones of her companion. She pulled her hands away from her bleary eyes and looked at him. Garth handed her a mug; coffee made exactly as she liked it. He didn't speak as he guided her towards the lounge and sat her down on the couch. He sat next to her, quietly and patiently waiting for her to speak. The sobbing continued for a few minutes before she regained herself, and he handed her a tissue which she took gratefully.

"I'm so sorry, Garth. What you must think of me bursting in like this..."

Garth silenced her with his hand. "Something's clearly happened. You want to talk about it?"

"Yes. No. I don't know," huffed Rachel, wiping her eyes and taking a sip of her coffee. "I'm not sure what I'm doing."

"It seems like you needed a friend?"

Rachel nodded, not daring to meet his eye again. She could feel her face colouring. Was that all she was doing? Part of her wondered if she had come to Garth seeking more than consolation. Part of her wondered if she had come here to get back at Gar. There was no denying her intense suspicion of Tara and seeing her name on the screen had sent her into a jealous rage. Was she here to make Gar feel the same way? And if so, what kind of person did that make her? What kind of friend was she?

Rachel sniffed, feeling suddenly aware of where she was. She looked at Garth pleadingly. "I'm sorry. I just had a falling out with Gar and I'm a bit all over the place."

"Ah," replied Garth, placing his coffee down on the side slowly. "I see."

"What does that mean?" asked Rachel, a little more sharply than she had intended to. Garth laughed at her outburst, poking her wrinkled nose playfully.

"Come now, Rach. We're past all that aren't we?"

"Mmm," agreed Rachel, feeling her nose tingling slightly from his touch. She didn't want this. She didn't want any of this. Not anymore. But it felt safe and certain. She'd been here before. Her mouth moved on its own. "Maybe I don't want a friend after all."

"What does that mean?" mimicked Garth, his eyebrow quirking. His dark eyes were staring at her evenly. He seemed suddenly concerned again. "What's going on with you, Rachel? You said you fought with Gar one moment then the next you don't want to talk about it?"

"No, I don't want to talk about it," growled Rachel, placing her hands over her face. "I want to forget about it."

"But it's clearly upset you—"

"I don't care!" she shouted, her rage taking over for a moment. Her eyes were brimming again as she lowered her fists to glare at Garth angrily. "I can't believe after everything he's done to me that I still care about him! He is such an idiot! I hate him!"

"Come on. You don't mean that."

"I do!" exclaimed the young woman, petulantly. "I hate him for making me feel this way."

"Feel what way?"

"Ugh, just forget it. It doesn't even matter."

"Look, Rach," began Garth calmly, leaning his weight forward onto his legs. His dark hair tumbled about his shoulders as he moved. "Let's stop with the silly games. You and I both know that you have feelings for Gar."

Rachel's blue eyes went wide, colour rushing to her face. "I—"

"Don't interrupt me," said Garth, firmly. He looked at her with his dark eyes, honesty radiating from them. "You have feelings for him. It's clear in the way you talk about him, the way you look when you're thinking about him. You're head over heels for him, whether you want to admit it or not. It sounds like something's happened between you on this weekend; the what doesn't matter. It's clear you're freaking out, and I'm guessing you came here confused. So, for that reason, being anything more than friends right now would be a mistake."

Rachel looked down, her cheeks still burning with shame. Was she really that transparent? She felt guilt hitting her immediately as she realised the enormity of what she had been doing. "Garth, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."

"You didn't," replied Garth, his voice quiet and low. His eyes betrayed a slight sadness. "Believe me, Rach, any other time I would have..."

He trailed off, taking a deep breath and running his hand through his hair. He paused for a moment then looked back up, a wistful smile on his face. "I like you, Rachel. You've got something special about you. But this wouldn't feel right. You have feelings for Gar, and something has happened between you. Am I right?"

Rachel nodded, her voice betraying her once again. She could feel her emotions intensely; so raw and unbridled. Garth reached over and put his arm around her gently.

"Look, whatever has happened, I'm sure there is a rational explanation. Maybe you should go and talk to him?"

Rachel rested her head against his shoulder, breathing his cologne in again and finding some strange comfort in it. "You're probably right."

"I know I am."

"I'm sorry for giving you mixed signals. I really do like you, Garth. You know that, right?"

"I do," smiled Garth, kissing her forehead gently. "In another lifetime, maybe it would have been something. But not in this one. It's not me you need, Rach. You need to go to him."

Garth paused, rubbing his hand up and down her arm softly. "Go and speak to Gar."

Review replies:

Kairu-Blackstar: Aw, shucks - thanks so much! I hope this chapter didn't disappoint :)

Crystal Koneko: Hooray! Now we're cooking with gas...hope you enjoyed it!

Golem XIV: So sorry to have worried you! It's been a strange few months, but I'm still standing! I hope I didn't break your heart too much in this chapter, you know me - it'll all come right in the end (probably!). I had to give Vic a break, he takes a battering in most fics - let's put some of that heat onto our friend Rich :D Good to hear from you - hope you're taking care.

AwesomeRockstar101: Uh oh! Gar has been hiding something after all...but don't worry, I love BBRae too so we'll make sure they sort it out ;) Hope you enjoyed it!

Guest: Gar is being typical stupid thinks he's doing the right thing but isn't Gar. You've gotta love his naive idiotic butt. Jinx has been so much fun to write, ngl. I've so enjoyed her and Rachel's friendship in this one. You take care and keep safe and healthy too!

Sanzojoe: You win the cookie! Or do you? You'll have to wait and see! :) Good guy Garth keeps everything moving in the right direction...for now. You know I can't help but love a bit of angst! Good to hear from you, hope all is well.

Lexiz Andra: Thank you so much!