Author's note: Hi all - sorry I've been absent once more. This Coronavirus business is getting old fast, isn't it?! All joking aside, it's a really troubling time and I'm hoping you and your families are safe. Feel free to distract your mind with our favourite AU Gar/Rae couple! I hope you enjoy - review replies at the end.

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

Chapter nine

Rachel stayed with Garth for another hour or so until she had calmed down fully. He had been a gentleman in every sense of the word, walking her to the lift to ensure she was okay. She reassured him she was, and they agreed to meet again at another time.

Yet, as the doors pinged shut, Rachel felt anxiety seeping over her at the thought of seeing Gar again. What should she say? What should she do?

Taking a deep breath, she stepped out onto their floor and pulled her key from her bag. Her dark hair was sticking to her forehead, as sweat beaded at her hairline. She pushed it to one side, and unlocked the door carefully. As it swung open, she knew that he was already back. The apartment was dark, but there was no mistaking his distinctive scent.

"Gar?" she called out uncertainly, as she closed the door behind her. "Are you home?"

"I'm here," came his voice from the lounge. Rachel swallowed as she let her bag slump to the floor and walked into the room. Gar was sitting on the couch, his feet kicked up lazily. His green eyes were full of thoughts and emotions that she couldn't read. But she sensed they were negative. She rubbed her arm, suddenly feeling awkward.

"How did you get back so fast?"

"Vic gave me a ride," replied the blond, his voice very quiet and low. It was unlike him; he appeared like a cat waiting to strike. He paused. "Rachel, why did you run?"

Rachel moved her feet beneath her, kicking the corner of the couch and sucking the air in through her gritted teeth. "You know why."

"Because Tara was ringing me?" replied Gar, his voice raising a few octaves. She knew he was angry, but it didn't stop her folding her arms petulantly and glaring at him. Gar let out an incredulous laugh, as though he couldn't believe they were having this conversation. "Are you really that paranoid? What the hell, Rae?"

"Don't start, Gar. You know full well you've been acting all jumpy, walking around on your phone all weekend. It seems pretty clear to me now who you were talking to."

Gar's face paled, and he shook his head. "Are you kidding me? I wasn't talking to Tara!"

"Well, why was she phoning you then?" shouted Rachel, her own voice raising in pitch. She could feel her blood pounding round her body, her anger rushing to the surface. "Don't lie to me, Gar."

"I'm not lying to you!" growled Gar, suddenly getting to his feet and marching towards her. His eyes were wild and feral. "You're the smartest person I know and yet you can be so dumb at times, Rach."

"Don't you dare talk to me like that, Gar. You want to talk about dumb? You were the one who was acting suspiciously. Sneaking around taking calls where no one could hear you and pretending it was work! What am I supposed to think?" replied Rachel, her face sitting a few inches from his. She knew that this was quickly spiralling out of control, but she felt pulled in by it all and unable to stop. Chaos closed in all around them as their emotions poured out.

"You could have talked to me! But you're too busy running off to God knows where. It's the same old shit, Rae. You've been running your whole life."

"Maybe I did run," retorted Rachel, her fists clenching. "But only because I didn't want to do this in front of the others and ruin Kori and Richard's special moment. You're going to berate me for that?"

Gar shook his head, folding his own arms. "Justify it however you want. The point still stands."

"I came back, Gar. I'm here right now, aren't I? I came straight home."

"Clearly you didn't because I got here first."

"I was here...I just..."

The young woman trailed off, instantly realising her mistake. She blinked, feeling that gnawing feeling in her gut again. Gar's lip curled, his green eyes flashing with a different emotion. One she had come to know well in the past few hours. Jealousy.

"You were with him, weren't you? The marine biologist?"

"Garth," corrected Rachel, standing to her full height. She shook her dark hair back out of her eyes. "His name is Garth and he's my friend."

"Your 'friend'?" replied Gar sarcastically, folding his own arms to mirror her own defensive position. "Is that what you call it these days?"

Rachel let her own face contort in disbelief at his words, although a pang of guilt hit her in the chest. "It's not like that between us. Nothing happened."

"Of course not."

"It didn't!" exclaimed Rachel, feeling the anger returning to her. "And anyway, I can't believe you're turning this around to be about me."

"Well seeing as you're the only one here who has done anything—"

"Gar, I've done nothing except to go and seek comfort when I was upset!"

"Comfort, really."

"Be very careful what you're saying, Logan," growled Rachel, taking a few steps back from him. "Because it sounds like you're accusing me of something."

"Maybe I am," replied Gar, taking a few steps back towards the couch. "I know what you're like, Rach. Maybe you've forgotten that we've been best friends for the past twelve years. I know how your mind ticks, how you cope with your intimacy issues."

"Intimacy issues," replied Rachel, her heart pounding. Gar nodded, his voice calmer now. He was staring at her intently.

"Yes, Rae. Intimacy issues. You think I don't know that the way you cope with your fear of being vulnerable is to push people away? That every decent guy who you've gotten close to has just become another stranger within a few hours? I've seen what happens when you try to date."

Gar paused to shake his head. "And you know what? I completely understood. Every single one, every single time. But this is me. I thought we could trust each other."

"So did I," mumbled Rachel, his words hitting her hard. She steadied herself on her feet. The image of Tara's name on his phone was still fresh in her mind. "But I guess we don't. You're right. Maybe I do have intimacy issues, so maybe we shouldn't do this."

Gar looked at her, a sadness in his eyes apparent for a brief moment before it was replaced by his anger. "Yeah. Maybe you should just go back to him instead. Clearly he gets you better than I do."

Rachel felt tears in her eyes. "Fine. If that's really what you think Gar, maybe it would be best if I did leave."

"Do what you want," replied Gar, sitting back down on the couch and staring at the ceiling. He looked blank, dissociating from the situation in which he found himself. He seemed defeated, or too tired to fight anymore. Perhaps both.

Rachel felt tears dripping down her face. She couldn't believe how elated she had felt that morning, given the despair that was now hitting her chest. "I guess I'll see you later then."

"Okay. Bye."

Rachel fled the room. She picked up her bag, slamming the door behind her as she left. She didn't stop to pack. She couldn't bear to stay a moment longer. Her stomach was in knots, she felt as though she might vomit all over the corridor. Opting to take the stairs, Rachel listened to her footsteps echoing on the stone. She pulled her phone from her bag and composed herself before dialling a number.

"Richard? Yes, I'm fine. You know you said that I could come and stay with you and Kori?"

A pause. Rachel closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Could I come now, please?"

"Yes, Miss Wilson. I'll be back in work on Monday. I know, it's a really strange bug. Yes, I promise I'll be back with the children first thing. Thank you for your understanding. I do realise I won't be paid. Yes. Thanks. See you Monday. Goodbye."

Rachel pressed the red button on her phone and put it to her face. She allowed her frustration to surface for a moment, before throwing the phone down onto the couch defeatedly. Kori's head popped around the corner.

"You have made the call?"

"Yeah, I've made it, Kor. Thanks."

"Was your boss the upset?" asked the young woman, walking towards the couch gently. As she sat next to her friend, she fanned her red hair around her face anxiously. Rachel nodded.

"She wasn't happy. But there isn't much she can do. I have a pretty spotless record, so it's only her frustration I have to handle and...believe me, it's probably the easiest thing for me to handle right now."

Rachel reached out and took hold of a pink fluffy cushion on the couch and held it to her chest. It smelled of Kori's favourite perfume, and its texture was oddly comforting. Kori gently stroked her friend's hair, tucking it away from her face. "Friend, you have been here almost an entire week and you have yet to tell us what is happening."

"I've imposed on you and Rich enough," replied Rachel, curtly. "I don't need to burden you with all my problems as well."

"Rachel Roth, you should know that your problems are our problems," said a voice from behind the couch. Rachel bent her head backwards to see two blue eyes looking down at her. Richard ruffled her hair amicably, before placing a kiss on her forehead. "We're worried about you, Rach."

He walked around the couch and perched on the coffee table. He was still in his pyjamas, having been on the night shift for the force. Kori had taken a day off to keep her friend company, much to Rachel's dismay.

The young woman sighed, slightly comforted by the kindness of her friends. She looked up at their eager and imploring faces and felt guilty. "I suppose...it's just difficult for me to talk about."

Kori shook her head. "Please, friend. We have known you for the long time. Blüdhaven is not your home, but we are your family. There is nothing you may say that is likely to upset us."

"Kori's right," agreed Richard, placing his hand on his fiancée's arm. She turned and smiled at him brightly. Richard returned the smile then continued to speak. "We're here for you. But we can't help you if you don't tell us what's wrong. All you said was that you needed to get away for a while and that something has happened. Vague doesn't even begin to cover it."

Rachel sighed again, adjusting herself in her seat awkwardly. It seemed there was no way to wiggle out of this. They weren't going to let it go, and in truth she needed to talk in through with someone. The chat with Garth was a long time ago, and she still felt no clearer, especially given her final encounter with Gar. He hadn't made any contact whatsoever, so she could only assume he was still angry with her. Truth be told, Rachel was in a mess. She knew she couldn't stay with Kori and Richard forever, yet she didn't know what to do. She didn't know where to go. Feeling the tears rising to the surface, she rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"Gar and I...fell out," Rachel managed, keeping her voice as calm as possible. Kori wrapped her arm around the young woman's shaking shoulder. "I don't think I can go back. Not ever."

"Come on now," said Richard, reassuringly. "You guys fall out all the time! Especially when we were kids. You always find a way to patch it up; you're inseparable."

Rachel felt a few tears leaking out of her eyes and wiped them away swiftly. "Not this time. I don't think this is reparable."

"Why could it not be repaired?" asked Kori, her green eyes shining with naïve curiosity. "You are friends, surely you can—"

"We're not," interrupted Rachel, her head drooping. "We're not friends anymore."

"Don't be stupid, Rach!" replied Richard, giving a light laugh. "Whatever's happened can't be bad enough that you aren't friends anymore."

"That's not what I meant," shrugged Rachel, bringing her hands up to hide her face. She knew she was blushing, and she hated them seeing it. She mumbled through her fingers. "I mean we're not friends. We haven't been for a while."

"But when we saw you on the weekend, you were very much the friends!" exclaimed Kori, still oblivious. But Richard's eyes had changed. He had caught her inference in a second, and now appeared slightly shocked.

"No, Kor. That's not what she's saying. Rachel, are you saying you guys were...more than friends?"

Rachel nodded dumbly, knowing that Kori was well aware of the background context of this revelation. The gasp from the redhead confirmed it. "Well, that is wondrous, is it not!"

"Not," shot back Richard, placing a hand on Kori's shoulder to calm her and shaking her head. "If you were more than friends and then you fell out...this is worse than we thought, isn't it?"

Rachel nodded again, lowering her hands from her face but keeping her head bowed. Her dark hair pooled into her lap as she played with her fingers awkwardly. "I think he was...more than friends with Tara, too."

"You mean that he was doing the dating with Tara whilst you both were...more than friends?" replied Kori, trying to work out what was being said. She was treading tentatively so as not to put her foot in it. "You are saying Gar was doing the cheating on you with Tara?"

Rachel nodded, then shrugged. "I don't know anymore, Kor."

"That doesn't sound like Gar," reasoned Richard, shaking his head firmly. "I have to be honest, Rachel, I'm struggling to see it. Especially seeing as..."

He trailed off, clamping his mouth shut as though he was frightened it may betray him further. Rachel raised her head, raising her eyebrow at him.

"Especially seeing as what?"

"Nothing, forget it," stumbled the young man suddenly, running his hands through his hair nervously. "K-kori, did you say something?"

"I did not," replied Kori, tilting her head and narrowing her eyes. "Richard, why are you doing the twitching?"

"Because he's hiding something," said Rachel, her voice gravelly and threatening. She gripped her friend by the arm. "What is it, Grayson?"

"Ow! Alright, alright," replied Richard rubbing at his sore arm, before throwing his hands up in defeat. Rachel sat back on the couch, truly perplexed as to what was going on. He sighed deeply before looking at the girls warily. "I promised Gar I wouldn't say anything, but he mentioned briefly at the weekend that Tara had been hounding him with calls and messages recently, but he hadn't responded to any of them."

The young man paused, as though to gauge Rachel's reaction. The brunette was wide-eyed, her knuckles white from the death grip she had on the fluffy cushion. Richard continued softly, folding his arms. "From the way Gar explained it, they'd tried to give it another shot a month or two back and then he'd changed his mind. But Tara wouldn't take no for an answer. Every now and then she'd try and get hold of him. It was bothering him so much he was thinking of changing his number."

"Did he say why," began Rachel, her voice suddenly hoarse and raspy. She swallowed, then licked her lips anxiously. "Did he say why he had changed his mind?"

Richard nodded slowly. He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. "He said that he had feelings for someone else and that he'd realised it wasn't fair to string Tara along any further than he had."

"So then...those phone calls on the weekend?"

"I have no idea, Rach," shrugged Richard, looking at her sorrowfully. "But I'm guessing they weren't Tara. I see no reason for Gar to lie to us. I just didn't realise that the girl he was talking about was you."

"I..." began Rachel, trailing off slowly. She blinked, as some tears began to fall. Questions raced around her mind. Had she really got it all mixed up again? Had her own fear and insecurity blocked her once more in the form of jealousy? Kori soothed her gently, as Richard ran his hands through his hair again awkwardly.

"Look, Rach, I'm so sorry. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything."

"No," managed Rachel, taking deep gulps of air between her tears. "I'm glad you did. But I think I've ruined everything."

"Friend, you cannot have. Gar is a most wonderful person, perhaps if you just phoned him then—"

"No," interrupted Rachel, shaking her head. "I can't go back there."

"Why not?" asked Kori, looking genuinely surprised at her friend's response. Rachel looked at her with sadness in her eyes.

"I've really hurt him. Besides, he thought that I'd been sleeping with the neighbour downstairs. Wouldn't believe me when I told him nothing happened. Well, I mean...this happened," shrugged Rachel, gesturing to her present state. "I cried on Garth for an hour, drank some coffee and then left. Part of me can't blame him. My default has been to push intimacy away in the past. But nothing happened this time. Nothing at all. Garth was a real gentleman, even though I'm a total ass. Gar deserves better."

There was a silence which hung in the room for a few moments as they all digested Rachel's words. Suddenly, Kori stood to her feet. "This is not right. We must somehow make it right! You are both so stubborn!"

"Kori, calm down," said Richard, standing up and placing his hands on her arms. "This isn't our decision. It's up to Rachel and Gar. We'll always be here for both of you, no matter what."

"I know you will," smiled Rachel, reaching for her phone again. She retrieved it and pulled up a number on the screen before tossing the pillow onto the couch. "But you've already done enough. I need to go back to work on Monday, so I'll crash at Jenny's. I guess I'll just figure it out from there."

With that, she stood to her feet and headed for her bedroom. As the door slammed, Kori turned to Richard with tears in her eyes. "I cannot believe Gar! How could he not have phoned? Does he not care as to where friend Rachel is? She is so very upset, and she could be in any state for all he knows!"

"He does care, Kori," whispered Richard, wrapping his arms around her protectively. "Gar called me a little while after Rach did at the beginning of the week. He didn't tell me what had happened, but he wanted to make sure that she was going someplace safe."

Kori shook her head, laughing lightly as a few tears dripped down her face. She seemed a mixture between relieved and amused. "Perhaps we should tell Rachel of his concern."

"No, I promised I wouldn't. Besides, I've already said enough," countered Richard, his voice still low. "Much as I hate to say it, I think that they need to work it out on their own from here."

"But there must be something we can do," protested Kori, her eyes wide with worry. "Surely?"

"Yeah. We wait," smiled Richard, his blue eyes meeting hers as he planted a gentle kiss on her lips. "And pray that one of them sees sense before it's too late."

Jenny's floor was hard and cold. Whilst her friend had tried to make it as comfortable as possible using pillows, cushions, duvets and blankets, Rachel could feel the cold seeping through the ground beneath her and into her back. She shivered involuntarily, wrapping herself up tightly in the cocoon she had made. She could see the morning light throwing slits across the walls and knew that it would soon be time to get up and face the world again. Back on 'brat brigade' duty; what a way to start back to work.

Sighing, she decided that she may as well get up soon and warm herself with some tea. Jenny's apartment was tiny; she only had one bedroom, a small kitchenette area attached the lounge and a small bathroom with barely enough room to turn in. Paying rent by yourself with the measly wage that Rose Wilson allowed was hard. Rachel felt gratitude hit her chest as she realised that she was lucky to have shared an apartment. Their simple flat was like a palace by comparison. Standing to her feet softly, she looked over at Jenny's sleeping frame. The young woman's pink pigtails had fallen out, and her hair was fanned around her like a rosy crown. She looked peaceful; her breathing steady and even. Rachel smiled, feeling another ping of gratitude that she was able to have such kind friends. Jenny may act tough, but beneath that hardened exterior beat a compassionate heart. Watching one session of her with the children was enough to confirm this to even the most sceptical mind.

Padding her way out of the room, she pushed the door gently to and made her way across the small space to find the kettle. There was a lone armchair and a tiny television in the corner of the space. Jenny had tried to make it look as homely as she could, but she was never one for décor. Nor for buying a great selection of tea, apparently. Rachel shrugged as she pulled out the cheap brand bags and threw one into a mug. Right now, she would appreciate the warmth and comfort of the hot liquid no matter what make it was. The kettle whistled away, and the young woman turned her face towards the window. The sunlight was peeking through, but the moon was still in the sky. Rachel rubbed her eyes and stifled a yawn, before a sinking feeling hit her stomach. In an instant, the reality of the situation dawned on her again.

For once, Rachel didn't cry.

She didn't feel that she had any tears left within her. Truthfully, she felt a type of numbness, of dissociation for the situation in which she found herself. Rachel knew it was a type of self-preservation, but it didn't matter. It provided at least a temporary reprieve from her feelings and that was enough to keep her functioning right now.

The kettle's whistle and click drew her away from her thoughts and she poured the hot water onto the bag. As the steam rose, she began to think about what was next. Realistically there was no way she could stay here with Jenny. Kind as her friend was, one night on that cold floor was enough to make Rachel recognise it was temporary at best. Picking up her tea, she made for the comfy armchair and curled up her legs, grabbing a stray blanket to wrap around herself. As she sipped the warm liquid, she considered her options quietly.

It didn't take her long to realise she didn't have many. Kori and Rich were too far away in Blüdhaven, so it would mean uprooting her entire life to move there. Plus, with the wedding and everything they had going on it just wouldn't feel right somehow. Then there was Vic; he travelled so much he didn't really have a solid residence in the area. She knew he would help her out if she asked, but her pride wouldn't allow it. Karen, Malcolm, Roy and the others from the original Titans group all lived scattered across the country. Whilst she knew they would assist her in an instant, it left her with the same dilemma as before; moving her entire life again. Starting over.

Rachel wasn't good with change. It had taken her six months before she had really relaxed into the apartment and her new job. Moving halfway across the country just didn't feel like an option somehow. Of course, there was Garth. But the very thought of that brought bile to her throat. Rachel hadn't spoken with the biologist since their encounter a week ago and in truth, she wasn't sure what to say. There was no way that she would ask him for a spare room, not after what had transpired. She definitely didn't want to become embroiled with anyone else right now, and if Gar found out then...

Gar.

Rachel had been avoiding thinking about him; she was self-aware enough to recognise her own defences. But as she began to let him into her mind once more, the feelings of hurt and betrayal resurfaced. He hadn't attempted to contact her since she left the apartment. No calls, messages or emails. No letters or post. No surprise visits in the middle of the night. It left her feeling empty and incredibly sad. Rachel shook her head, feeling disgusted at her self-pity. Afterall, it wasn't as though she had attempted to contact him. Why should the onus be on Gar?

But the hurt she felt just wouldn't shift. Richard's words echoed around her mind and she contemplated the fact that the phone calls may not have been Tara. But then who were they? It didn't make a lot of sense in her mind. There wasn't any reason for Gar to hide anything from her; they had always been so open. But if he was seeing someone else then...

There was no saying that the girl he had mentioned to Richard was her.

So perhaps that was it. Perhaps it wasn't Tara but someone else. The very thought made her stomach lurch. She had never thought of Gar as being like that, especially since Tara had cheated on him all those years ago. He had always seemed a loyal person, often to a fault. Maybe the reality was that she simply didn't know him as well as she thought she had. Running her hand through her long dark hair, Rachel sighed deeply.

'There's only one option left, isn't there?' came a voice from deep within her. Her irrefutable logic was always present in one way or another. 'It's all you, kiddo.'

Rachel nodded to herself, taking another sip of the tea. The door behind her squeaked slightly as it opened, and a bleary-eyed Jenny emerged from the darkened room. She yawned widely, pressing her hand to her face and stretching.

"Rach? What time is it?"

"Seven," said Rachel, her voice quiet. She twisted to look at her friend, a small smile on her face. "You can still catch some z's if you like; I'll wake you in an hour."

"Nah, I'm awake now," shrugged Jenny, walking towards the kettle and touching it gently with the back of her hand. She gestured to Rachel's mug. "Need a refresher?"

Rachel nodded and stood from the chair. She walked towards the kitchenette and handed the empty vessel to the young woman, who re-boiled the water and grabbed some more teabags. Jenny shook her pink hair out and pushed it away from her face. "Couldn't sleep, huh sis?"

Rachel shook her head, leaning on the counter slowly. Her eyes were fixed on an indeterminate point. "It's nothing personal, I haven't been sleeping well lately."

"I'm not surprised," replied Jenny objectively, making their tea. She gave a cautious look towards her friend. "Want to talk about it or whatever?"

"Not really," admitted Rachel, twisting a strand of her hair awkwardly. "I was just thinking about what to do next. You know, living wise."

"Well, you can crash here for as long as you need," said Jenny, handing her a refreshed mug with a small smile. "I know it isn't the best place in the world, but it is home."

"Actually, I was thinking maybe there might be an opening in the block somewhere?" asked Rachel, feeling a little uncomfortable. Jenny narrowed her eyes.

"Girl, you don't want to live here. Seriously? No one lives here out of choice."

"That's the thing. I don't think I have many choices left, Jen," countered Rachel, her blue eyes dropping to look at the floor. The tiles were slightly cracked beneath her bare feet. She sniffed, looking back up to Jenny. "You know we can't afford much on Wilson's crappy pay packet."

Jenny sighed and loped towards the chair. She slumped into it, and Rachel sat cross legged on the floor facing her. Jenny stretched her body out lazily, balancing her tea on her stomach. "Hmm. Maybe I could get a couch?"

Rachel smiled, feeling a warmth in her chest. A small smirk lit her face. "Aw, you'd do that for me, piglet?"

Jenny snorted at the silly nickname, pushing her hair out of her eyes again and twisting herself so she could examine her friend more closely. She hesitated briefly before speaking again. "So, there's no way you're going back to your old place?"

"No," shot back Rachel, immediately. The smirk was gone in an instant. Her back stiffened, as she looked at her friend firmly. "No way."

"You don't even want to speak to him?"

"No."

"Okay," Jenny paused, taking a sip of her tea and fiddling with the handle of the mug. "I mean, you never know, maybe there's some explanation for what happened."

"Jen—"

"I'm just saying, if you don't give him a chance to explain you're never going to know," interrupted her friend, raising her eyes to meet Rachel's. "Whatever else happened you've been best friends forever, right?"

Rachel fell into silence. She knew Jenny was being empathic. But all she could see in her mind's eye was the cold expression on Gar's face the last time she had seen him. The way his jaw set as he glared at the ceiling. How he told her to go. How he didn't seem to care. She shuddered.

"I don't think we're even that anymore," replied Rachel, quietly. It seemed there maybe were a few tears left. She felt a pricking her eyes and pressed them shut hard. She wasn't doing this again. She needed to be logical now. To survive. To work out a plan. Jenny bit her lip.

"I'm sorry, Rach. I didn't mean to upset you; I was just trying to help and—"

"It's fine, I know you were."

"I just want you to be happy," shrugged Jenny, struggling to right herself in the chair. She sighed deeply again. "You seemed so happy that night at the cabin. I thought it was all going to work out for you two."

"Maybe someday it will," mused Rachel, wrapping her hands tightly around the mug. She couldn't mask the intense sadness in her voice as she spoke. Her eyes found Jenny's and she gave a wistful smile. "But not today."

Review replies:

Kairu-Blackstar: You're so incredibly sweet! Thank you! I'm glad you enjoy my writing - I hope this chapter didn't disappoint :)

Golem XIV: Yes ouch indeed. And more ouch in this chapter too, apologies. But things will (probably) get better (most likely). Right? Hope this chapter was longer and didn't disappoint! I'll try to keep updating, work has kept me busy at this strange time. Hope you're safe and well!

LightNS: Oh no, I'm sorry! It's definitely in progress and not abandoned, I can promise that much :) Thank you so much! I enjoy your stories too, so it means a lot that you're enjoying mine in return.

AwesomeRockstar101: I know, poor Raven - she's in a mess. I'm sure Rach and Gar can sort it out! Next chapter will (most likely) be better ;)

Guest: Yayyy wedding! But of course angst and drama...I can't help myself. I've painted Garth in rather an awful light in some of my other stories - perhaps this is his redemption? I quite like Good Guy Garth! :D I hope you enjoyed Gar's little jealous rage here...stay tuned!

Guest: Thank you!

Guest: I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to torment you. Perhaps Gar isn't as bad as you thought now? :) It seems like they're both pining in this chapter - I'm sure it'll all come right in the end. Stay safe and healthy too, all the best to you and thanks for the reply!