Ch 22

Gar and Raven settled in the guest room of Vic and Karen's place. The married couple had an event they had to go to tonight leaving the couple alone in their apartment. Raven was washing up in the bathroom as Gar lied down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

He couldn't believe it, he had told his friends and girlfriend about his connection to S.T.A.R. labs. It was one of his memories he thought he had buried until now. The drive to the married couple's house had been silent. He could tell Vic was struggling with this, and Karen was trying to comfort her husband.

"He'll be all right Gar. It's a lot to process for Vic," said Raven as she came out in a dark navy blue silk nightgown and a robe to match.

"How about you Rae?" he asked as he sat up on the bed. "How do you feel?"

"I can't imagine what it was like for you in there, suffering at the hands of corrupt scientists. If I reach out with my mind, it may be too much for me. I know those scientists are dead, but I would gladly bring them back and kill them for you because no one, especially a child, shouldn't have to go through what you went through."

Gar squeezed her hand in his and looked at her as he wiped his eyes with the other hand. "I love you so much Rae," he said as she held him in her arms, letting him cry and trying to soothe him.

Laying him down on the bed, she lied down beside him, bringing the covers over them with her powers. She held him tight and soon enough he fell asleep in her calming embrace. Feeling his warm breath on her neck made one particular emotion arise.

'I said no! He's been through enough today.'

'How long are you going to hide behind excuses?' asked Lust.

'It's not an excuse. He needs me right now, and sex is the last thing I need.'

'You can do more than hold him Raven. Sex can be for comfort to.'

'GO AWAY! This can't be in my mind.'

'It is Raven,' said a different emotion.

'Knowledge?'

'It's all right to feel this way,' said Knowledge. 'When the time's right, you'll know.'

'Don't be afraid,' said Bravery. 'You love him.'

Raven came out of her mind to feel she was more at ease and so was Gar's mind. He was sleeping peacefully. She smiled as she released his hold on her and got up from the bed. Walking out of the room, she came into the living room and then came into the kitchen to see a tea box resting on the counter.

When she sipped the chamomile tea in the darkness of the room, she sighed, feeling the liquid warm her soul.

Cyborg opened the door and turned on the lights and was startled to see Raven drinking tea in the kitchen. Holding his hand over his chest, he sighed in relief, realizing there was nothing to fear as Karen laughed at his reaction.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you Victor," said Raven.

"Everything ok?" asked Vic as he joined her at the table.

"I don't know. I'm not sure how deep his emotions run with what happened to him at S.T.A.R. labs. I fear if i search his mind, I'll loose control over my own emotions but a part of me wants to know so I can comfort him the right way."

"I'm sure you're doing what you can for him Raven," said Karen as she sat beside her husband.

"So, how was the party?" asked Raven.

"Nothing special," said Karen, "but it's important to put ourselves out there for the company and the charities our company supports."

"There was this guy at the party, kind of gave me a weird vibe, and I'm not even an empath," said Vic.

"What did he look like?" asked Raven.

"He was white with black hair. His face looked evil, and I know that's a weird way to describe the guy. He was talking to someone, and the woman called him Nicholas Galtry. Something just didn't feel right. He looked out of place at the party, and I got to thinking why was he there in the first place?"

Karen smirked. "You can't ever quit being a Titan, can you Vic?"

"It's in my blood Karen. You know that as well as I do."

"True," she smiled as she kissed his cheek. "Well I'm going to bed," she said as she left the room.

"You want to investigate this guy, don't you?" asked Raven.

"Yeah, I don't know why I feel so strongly about this," said Vic.

"Just so you know, he'll be by S.T.A.R. labs tomorrow," said Karen who came out in her pajamas. "You would know that if you kept listening to him talk."

"Remind me why he's visiting," said Vic.

"He's an investor," said Karen. "He wants to see what he's putting his money into. He has an appointment at 8am."

"So, what's the plan?" asked Vic.

"Well he'll be meeting with us and the rest of the staff. All we have to do is wait until we're announced. You and Gar can wait for our signal, and we'll meet you after we meet him."

"Sounds good to me," said Raven.