Chapter 10: Forgiving

Rating: T

Date: Saturday, January 26, 2019

A/N: I underestimated how busy I was going to be. Gosh, senior year has not been kind to me. I've been tackling scholarship applications and five AP classes, I've been staying after school for one reason or another and not to mention our Orchestra teacher is getting more demanding with our practicing and being moved to Second chair in the first violin section when I can't even shift is terrifying. Anyway, you guys aren't here for my excuses, so without further to do, I hope you enjoy.

Forgiving

"Well?" Garfield questioned as he leaned against the trunk of the tree Tara and him had often climbed during their early years as best friends. He crouched down to grip a fist of small pebbles from the ground and aimed one at the water, causing it to skip across the waves generating ripples throughout its path before disappearing into the horizon.

He avoided Tara's gaze, afraid that the feelings of nostalgia would consume him and cause him to make a stupid decision that would most likely end up hurting him in the long run. He couldn't go back to her, not again. Why had he even agreed to come?

Tara plopped down on the rock overlooking the lake, her blonde hair strands still cloaking her face. "How have you been?" she asked.

Garfield let out a humorless snicker, "We came all the way here for you to ask me how I was? Cut it with the shit, Tara. I know you don't care about me at all. If you're just going to waste my time on small talk, I might as well leave," he muttered as he buried his hands inside his pockets and turned on his heel to head back to his car.

"Wait! Gar!" Tara hurriedly intervened, leaping to her feet and grabbing his hand to prevent him from going. He snatched his hand away and kept his eyes fixated on the trunk of the tree. He didn't want to find out what would happen if he looked at her. "I just wasn't sure how to start the conversation… But I'll get straight to the point if that's what you want."

Garfield didn't answer. He instead walked over to the rock she'd been sitting on and sat down, his eyes tracing the lake desperately, hoping he wouldn't let himself fall into her trench of hurtful lies yet again. He heard Tara settle down next to him, but he didn't direct his gaze towards her.

"I spoke to your father again…"

"Adoptive father," Garfield interrupted.

Tara sighed, "He's still the most prominent father figure in your life, Gar. Don't underestimate his efforts…" she paused to take a breath. "Anyhow, I spoke to Steve. I… I told him I didn't want to get through with his plan, that I didn't want to marry you or join our business in that way at least. He asked me why, and I told him that I didn't want you to keep looking at me as the enemy… And I also didn't want to sacrifice our friendship…" She noticed Garfield's scowl, and she quickly corrected herself. "... What's left of it, at least. I thought he was going to be angry about it, but he accepted my decision as did my father as well. So, I guess I just wanted you to know that I don't want to force you into anything. I don't want you to feel pressured to be with me, and I really wish we can at least be friends again. I'm not going to try to hit on you or anything, I realize I already messed up that path, but I guess what I'm trying to ask from you is just… Can I at least have my best friend back?" her voice cracked and something within Garfield snapped. He swallowed down the feeling of remorse overcoming him. "You know, the good old Garfield who I used to skip pebbles with from the top of this tree… The guy who once convinced me I could control the earth to make me feel better after I accidentally caused you to fall off the monkey bars and break your arm during third grade?"

Garfield couldn't resist letting out a snicker, and he quickly slapped a hand over his mouth, scolding himself for falling into her act. Though he couldn't help but wonder, was it really an act? Could she be luring him into another trap? Or was she being honest this time?

"Please, Gar? Can we just be friends again?" A cord wrapped around his heart and tugged tightly as she uttered the words. He felt conflicted. On one hand, she sounded completely honest and good-hearted, and he longed to return to those old days when it was just him and her facing against the world. On the other hand, he didn't want to risk trusting Tara only for her to betray him yet again. Though at the bottom of his heart, he was sure that he wanted the same thing she did. He was sure that she was being honest this time. He wanted his best friend back—the girl who'd supported him throughout all those years that bullies tried to put him down or during those nights he ran away from home after Steve demanded too much from him.

"... Tara, it's difficult to trust you again, especially after all those times you lied to me," Tara opened her mouth to speak, but he continued before she could. "But… I know how you feel. I miss the old times. Back when we goofed off during our weekend meetups and played daily pranks on everyone and on each other. Or just coming here after a long day and winding down from a difficult situation…" He held his knees tightly to his chest and breathed out, hoping he wouldn't regret what he was about to tell her. "So, I guess my answer is yes… We can try being friends again, even if it'll be a little difficult to gain my trust," he managed a small smile as locked eyes with her for the first time during their conversation.

Tara's eyes seemed to recover the old spark that'd mesmerized him all those years ago, and her smile practically brightened their surroundings, "Thank you so much, Gar! You won't regret it!" She tackled him with a tight hug that almost took his breath away.

"Woah, Woah, I'm pretty sure you want a living best friend, so don't strangle me with your hugs," he managed to unlatch her arms from around his neck.

"Sorry," Tara answered sheepishly. She sat back on the ground and looked off into the horizon where the sun was now visually setting and welcoming the moonlight. After a few moments of silence, she asked, "Who was that girl you were with at the carnival?"

Garfield found himself unintentionally smiling, "Her name's Raven."

When he didn't elaborate, she curiously asked, "Is she your girlfriend..?"

Garfield couldn't help but burst into a crazed pattern of snickers. He was able to get ahold of himself after he noticed Tara's confused visage, and he managed to explain, "Oh God no. She'd kill me before I could even try to ask her out. No, no, no, she's not my girlfriend! She's just a friend," he assured, though she didn't look convinced.

Tara arched an eyebrow and grinned mischievously, "Ooooh, really? So you're implying that you totally would ask her out, then?"

Garfield's expression twisted into a deer-in-the-headlights kind of look. "I did not say that!" he proclaimed.

"Sure you didn't…" Tara snickered, but she let it go (at least for the time being). She stared off into the distance for a moment as if breathing in the view. "I missed this…"

"What, you teasing me?" Garfield shouldered her gently.

"That too," Tara laughed. "Mostly just being with you, not fighting. Just being your friend." She locked eyes with him. "You're the best friend I've ever had, Gar. I don't know why I ever doubted that," she confessed.

Garfield smiled before placing an arm around her shoulders and bringing her into a tight embrace—not a romantic one, but one that arose dozens of nostalgic memories of their friendship as kids. And he realized that no matter what Steve demanded of him or what life decided to slap him with, Garfield knew he'd be just fine.

"Daughter, I've been awaiting your arrival. Would you care to share where you've been for the past day?" Trenton inquired, his voice stern and his posture exuding dominance.

Raven would've been lying if she'd said it hadn't arisen even a twinge of fear inside her. "I've been out… with a few… friends," she spoke the words with caution, her eyes tracing her father's countenance attentively.

"Friends?" Trenton spat out as if she'd just offended him. "Out with a few friends?" he strode forwards, his footsteps echoing across the room. He stared down at her petite silhouette in an attempt to intimidate her. Fortunately, Raven had already mastered her expressionless facade, and she simply stared back.

"Tell me… Who are these friends of yours?" Trenton questioned, and she recognized the kind of game he was trying to set up, which she wasn't going to let him win.

"Nobodies. Just a few acquaintances I've made to keep other people away," she answered, her tone cool and assertive.

Trenton narrowed his eyes at her. "Very well," he stated. "Though I'd be careful with these acquaintances of yours distracting you from your duties as my daughter. We wouldn't want them to suffer from unexpected and… unfortunate consequences, now would we?"

Raven's fists clenched, and she contained a snarl. She bit down on her tongue to keep her from saying anything she'd regret, and she only nodded.

"Now, Malchior has been awaiting your arrival," Trenton spoke. A few moments later, Malchior stepped into the living room, his hands inside his pockets and his nefarious grin evident on his expression. "We have some important news for you. I suggest you listen carefully, and you keep your mouth shut. After all, you don't exactly have a say in this decision." His gaze turned to Malchior who's eyes were fixated intently on Raven.

Raven turned to him, a swirl of negative emotions pooling inside her stomach as she predicted what he was about to tell her.

"You're looking beautiful today, my dear," Malchior grasped her wrist gently, an odd movement coming from him. He was usually more possessive and dominant over her.

"Just get to the point," she scowled, knowing full well what was about to take place.

"If you insist," he smiled. His other hand reached into his pocket and removed a simple black box.

Perhaps other girls would have swooned at the sight of an attractive young man removing such an object from his pockets or their stomachs would be overturned with nervous and thrilled butterflies. Perhaps it could have appeared as those stereotypical proposal scenes in romance flicks or in those countless professional pictures of proposals advertised online and on TV. It could have even been a distressful moment as she realized she'd be forever trapped within her father's and Malchior's grasp. However, it was none of those things. On the contrary, Raven felt nothing. The twister inside her stomach diminished as quickly as it appeared, and there was only emptiness.

There was nothing to be shocked about, really. Raven already knew her destiny overruled any future plans she'd desired. That was the reason she never bothered to wish for anything at all. It was pointless to do so, at least for her. Her destiny was preset, and the only hopes for a change would be running away. But she wasn't that stupid. She knew her father had eyes and ears everywhere, all puppeteered by his demonic influence and immoral commands. The longest she could spend as a runaway would be a week before somebody found her, kidnapped her, and brought her back (or killed her if one of her father's enemies got ahold of her first). And yet, the thought didn't bother her, because it was the kind of mindset she'd trained herself for.

Malchior slipped the elegant, gold band onto her finger, his gaze never leaving hers. It was a battle of supremacy. And Raven didn't intend to lose.

"We have decided the wedding will take place right after your eighteenth birthday as to not arise any kind of unwanted attention. For now, however, an engagement ring makes sure you know exactly where your place is. And it makes sure you don't try anything absurd to ruin this arrangement," Trenton explained.

Malchior unclasped his hand from her wrist, and she let it fall to her side. She didn't say a word. What was there to say? She had no choice, and if she tried to argue, she'd only accomplish a second beating (and she really didn't want to have to explain more bruising to Garfield who was insistent on prying into her life).

"We will be dining this afternoon to celebrate this occasion," he continued. "I expect you to be ready to go by five."

Raven nodded, and she finally unlocked her gaze from Malchior's when she turned to walk away.

"And Raven," she stopped to listen, but she didn't look back at her father. "I presume you know what will happen if you misbehave this afternoon around our guests."

Her silence spoke for itself, and she dismissed herself to her bedroom—her mind devoid of any sentiment or thought. And for once, she longed to be the robot Garfield had thought her for.

"Hey, Rae! How are you today?" Garfield plopped down in the seat next to her in the cafeteria table. As usual, Raven's eyes were intently fixed on the novel in front of her; this time, the lucky winner was titled Macbeth.

"Fine," she muttered as she took a bite of her apple, the rest of her food sitting in the tray in front of her untouched. He wondered to himself why she didn't eat, but he didn't voice his inquiry. They weren't that close just yet.

"What'cha reading?" he asked in his usual irritating voice.

"A work by Shakespeare," she replied, and Garfield was honestly caught off-guard by how easy it was to get her to answer something (even as simple as a question about her book). She usually ignored all of his questions or his talking in general.

"What's it about?" he pressed, hoping she'd continue to share if anything to hear her voice.

"The deep-rooted nature of greed within humans specifically triggered by a place of power and how it affects our judgment and morality," she told him, her words coherent and not missing a beat.

If he were to be honest, the words traveled through one ear and exited through the other without a single ounce of comprehension. He didn't mind, however. He just liked hearing her talk in her typical intelligent way.

"Interesting," he replied, his eyes attentively tracing her features.

"Is there something interesting about my face?" she questioned in a deadpan tone as she turned the page.

"It's certainly more beautiful than the Mona Lisa," he blurted out, though he quickly slapped a hand over his mouth when he realized what he'd said, and he could only hope she wouldn't murder him on the spot for hitting on her (once again).

Raven's eyes turned away from her book, and she arched an eyebrow at him, "You realize that won't have any effect on me?"

"Phew," he chuckled nervously. "For a second there, I thought you were about to murder me."

She rolled her eyes and returned to her book. A few minutes later (of which Garfield spent his time awkwardly trying to look at anything but Raven), Kory and Dick arrived.

"Hello, friends! How are you on this most beautiful day?" Kory asked with a wide smile adorning her expression.

"I'm doing great, Kory. How about you?" Garfield smiled back.

Kory cheerfully clapped her hands together, "Oh, I have been doing wonderful today! What about you Raven?"

"Fine," she replied as she had to Garfield, her eyes focused on the novel in front of her.

It appeared that Kory felt sufficed with her answer, as she turned back to Garfield and Dick and started rambling about cheerleading practice. They went on through their usual lunch routine (minus Victor who was sitting with Karen and the others today)—with Kory blithely chatting and leading the conversation alongside Garfield, Dick commenting when he felt it was necessary, and Raven simply ignoring them (though Garfield had noticed she seemed more comfortable with them in comparison to the previous week).

After lunchtime was over, Garfield followed after Raven like a love-struck puppy as they walked to their physical education class. He, of course, had to leave her when she entered the girl's changing room, and he made his way to his own. Dick and Wally strolled in right after him and headed to their lockers while Garfield started to change.

Just as he was tying his shoelaces, a resounding gasp echoed across the room (that made him wonder if a girl had snuck into the boy's changing room considering its high pitch) followed by uncontrollable laughter from the guys next to him. He turned to see Wally handling some very small and bright pink shorts along with an equally small purple tank top.

"What the hell!?"

"Nice outfit, Wally! Where you headed to? Dance rehearsal?" one of the guy's exclaimed with a snort.

Wally didn't answer considering he was too busy gaping at the garments in front of him. Dick was trying to contain his laughter next to him, though it was painfully obvious that it wasn't working.

Wally seemed to snap out of it as he started frantically searching through his stuff for his actual gym uniform but to no avail.

Garfield bit down on his lip to prevent himself from snickering, "Welp, you've got less than three minutes to decide whether you'll wear that thing or skip gym class."

"Are you kidding me!? I've already skipped three times in the past two weeks! Coach Z is going to kill me!" Wally exclaimed, his eyes wide as saucers as he stared at both of them. Dick seemingly shrugged, his shades obscuring his expression, though Garfield could tell he was amused (which made him wonder if he had anything to do with the mysterious disappearance of Wally's gym clothes).

"Well then," Garfield gave Wally a pat in the back. "I guess you'll be hanging out with the girls today," he snorted before heading out of the changing room.

"Logan!" Coach Z exclaimed as he entered the gym. "Where are Grayson and West?"

Garfield shrugged his shoulders as he strolled towards the boy's section. Shortly after, Dick walked in followed behind by Wally who was dressed in the tiny pink shorts and the tight purple tank top with his face resembling a volcano on the brim of exploding.

"Look at Wally over here cosplaying as a girl!" one of the guys yelled before they all burst out laughing. Wally's mouth opened and shut as if he were trying to think of a comeback, but it seemed like nothing came to mind.

"Alright everyone, settle down. Today we're doing a group activity, so get into groups of five," Coach Z announced.

Dick and Wally joined Garfield who was struggling to keep in his laughter as he gaped at Wally, "That's a good look on you, Wally! You should wear it more often! It really shows off your butt!" he joked.

"Shut up," Wally muttered through gritted teeth, his fists clenching and unclenching repeatedly.

Kory dashed towards them, her hand grasping Raven's wrist and dragging her over. "I very much admire your outfit today, Wally! It is very pink!" she smiled, oblivious to Wally's embarrassment and the guy's insults.

"I agree. It really suits you," Dick grinned while Wally simply glared daggers at him. Even Raven had a small smile playing out on her expression.

"Shut it, Grayson," he muttered. "You're going to pay for this."

"I don't know Wally," Dick continued, his smile widening. "You should be careful with what you wish for."

Garfield scurried towards the back exit of the school, struggling to shove his books and papers into his backpack as he did. It'd been an amusing day what with his A+ on his Biology test and Wally having to parade his stylish outfit around the school (his clothing had mysteriously disappeared from his locker yet again, leaving him in his gym attire for the rest of the day). Later, they'd found out that Dick and Victor had been the culprits of the ingenious prank as payback for whatever mischief Wally had been up to in the past week (Garfield really had no clue, but Wally probably deserved it).

Regardless, the school day was now over, and Garfield was more than ready to go home. Rita had invited Tara and her family over as a way to make amends after the whole Steve situation and her and Garfield's reconciliation. Though Steve appeared to be upset about it (even though he told Tara he wasn't), Garfield knew he wouldn't put up a fight during dinner considering he'd already made a scene in front of Tara, and he wasn't about to do it in front of her parents as well.

Garfield hurried out of the school and towards the parking lot. However, as he was about to round the corner of the building, he heard an extremely familiar voice, and he froze in his tracks.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Raven questioned. Garfield tried to peek around the corner at the individual she was talking to, but he decided against it considering he'd risk getting caught. Though it felt rude to eavesdrop on her conversation, he found that he still didn't know much about her, and he felt like she was still hiding things from him (not that she had the obligation to tell him everything, but they were friends, and friends confided on each other).

"You don't have to act so insolently, my dear," a British male voice replied. Garfield couldn't exactly place his finger on it, but his voice sounded strangely familiar. Where had he heard it? "I came to drive you home."

"I've told you before that I don't want you anywhere near this place," she snarled in her typical Raven-like way.

"I'm sorry Raven, but you don't exactly get to decide that," he retorted, his voice turning aggressive. Garfield had the abrupt desire to turn the corner and smack him in the face for talking to her in that way, but he resisted.

"Look, if you're going to make a scene. Let's do it elsewhere," she sighed.

His voice seemingly returned to its composed and gentlemanly tone, and he replied, "As you wish, my dear."

Garfield heard the alarms blaring inside his head as he realized they were headed straight towards the corner he was hiding by. He stumbled about trying to find a place to shield him, but like the idiot he was, he accidentally dropped one of his textbooks which smacked down on the ground just as Raven and the anonymous man rounded the corner.

His stomach dropped the moment his eyes landed on Raven's companion, and he instantly recognized him. It was the man from the carnival. The man they'd heard talking about suspicious dealings, and his brain crowded with dozens of questions—the most prominent being, what the hell was she doing with him?

"Garfield," Raven acknowledged, her voice remaining calm, though he spotted a speck of alarm in her eyes. "I thought you'd gone home," she stated, but her eyes seemingly asked something else, which Garfield translated to somewhere along the lines of what the hell was he doing eavesdropping on them?

"I- uh-" Garfield stuttered, his mouth drying up, and his tongue unable to catch the right words. He was still gawking at the man, his brain attempting to properly connect the dots but to no avail.

"Care to introduce me to your friend?" the British man questioned, his eyes tracing Garfield's expression inquisitively.

Raven appeared to be hesitant, and she spoke the words cautiously, "Garfield, this is Malchior. Malchior, this is Garfield."

"Pleasure to meet you," Malchior smirked and offered his hand.

Garfield snapped out of his trance and gripped his hand, inadvertently grasping it tightly as they shook hands. "Likewise," he asserted, his voice unusually aggressive. Their eyes locked in what seemed like a silent war, only glaring at each other.

Raven intervened before either could say anything, "Well, we really have to get going," she announced as her hand latched onto Malchior's wrist (and otherwise sparking a pang of jealousy within Garfield's stomach).

Malchior casually draped his arm around Raven's shoulders and strolled towards the parking lot, his gaze still fixated on Garfield before he finally turned away. Garfield didn't stop glaring at the back of his head until they disappeared into a black Ferrari and pulled out of the parking lot. When the car was finally out of sight, he felt the urge to scream out in frustration.

Who the hell did that man think he was? Was he really the man from the carnival? How did Raven even know him? Most important—what was she doing with him?

He ambled aimlessly towards his car, his mind running with all sorts of bemused thoughts. He didn't realize he was gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white as he drove home nor did he realize he practically slammed the car door and the main door as he headed into his house. The only thing his brain could fixate itself on was the way he was going to confront Raven about everything. It was time to stop listening to her excuses.

Garfield needed answers, and he was going to get them one way or another.

A/N: Again, I can't promise updates on certain dates, but it will be updated eventually. Thank you for reading!

VladimirVamp - They will! I promise!

ChaoticCoffeeBean - Glad you're enjoying it! I love AU's, and I try to make them as entertaining as possible since I don't think there's enough of them in this world.

Guest 1 - Haha, I'm glad you like it! Just don't get in trouble with your mom or else you might get your tablet confiscated, and you won't be able to read fanfiction.

Guest 2 - Thank you! I will try!

lopezalice - Thank you! I will continue, even if it takes a while!

Guest 3 - I'm glad you think that! I tried my best. It also takes learning from other author's mistakes.

WeasleyIsMyKing540 - I hope you're still on board! :)

Booklover/Sharpclaws - First of, I want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH for all your reviews! I haven't gotten anyone as dedicated to reviewing as you are! It always makes me so happy to see readers like you! I'm also so glad you're enjoying it! I know I did make Tara out to be pretty bad, but I do want to give her another chance. She won't get in the way of BBRae, but I do truly believe she was a good person who just made mistakes (in the cartoon at least, the comics don't portray her that well). I want a chance to explore Garfield and Tara's friendship as I think it will help remove that resistance Garfield's had so far with his love life. I love your comments on your reactions to certain events. I always love when my readers write that something made them mad or smile or sad because I know I've done my job correctly if they do. As for the question about the ending, you'll just have to wait and see. I can assure you there won't be any deaths, but I can't assure a completely happy ending. It's subjective really, so it depends on how you see it. I haven't planned it out fully (I'm mostly improvising), so it might change along the way. Again, thank you for the reviews!