Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans.

Stone-Hearted 7

Threats, Assumptions and Thanks

The titans crowded around Beast Boy with uneasy expressions. Cyborg pushed on the green titan's shoulder. "Come on, BB, wake up."

Beast Boy grunted and opened his eyes. Cyborg and Starfire bent closer to see him. "Whoa, dudes, you won't believe the dream I had…Terra came back!"

"It wasn't a dream, Beast Boy," Terra said from behind Cyborg. Cyborg moved so Terra could move up closer. As Beast Boy focused on her, he gasped and sat straight up.

"Terra, you're alive!" he exclaimed and within an instant, he changed into the cute little puppy had been when they got their pictures taken in a photo booth. He jumped into her arms and licked her face. Terra laughed and set him down, trying not to blush. Raven was also trying not to look red, but from anger and not embarrassment. She narrowed her eyes and looked at the floor.

"It's nice to see you too, Beast Boy," said Terra.

Beast Boy changed back. "What happened? When did you come back? Why didn't you come to us?"

"I—I don't know," said Terra. "A couple weeks ago."

"Weeks?" Robin asked. "You've been back for a weeks?"

"Terra made me promise not to tell you until she was ready," Bumblebee said quickly.

"Well, I'm glad that Terra's been looked after," said Cyborg. "How did the effect wear off?"

"We're trying to figure that out," Bumblebee answered. "I found Terra that day I was coming to Jump City. She was in the middle of a fight with Black Rose. If I hadn't stopped her, she probably would've killed Terra."

"Black Rose?" Starfire said. "From the tournament of heroines?"

"Yeah," Bumblebee replied. "We don't know what she would want with Terra. That is also a mystery."

"I could run a couple of tests on Terra," said Cyborg. "Maybe then we'll find out how Terra was able to free herself."

"Sure, okay," said Terra with a shrug. "Let's get started. I noticed some changes since I've come back."

"What do you mean?" Cyborg inquired.

"Well, my powers aren't as they strong as they used to," Terra said.

"That's to be expected," Robin commented. "You've been in stone for a long time and you haven't used them."

"Yeah, but things are different," Terra said. "I mean, it's not like I'm rusty from lack of practice, my powers, they're weak. And I've always had a weakness to water, but now, it's stronger."

"Weakness?" said Robin. "To water?"

The word 'weakness' caught Raven's attention. Terra was weak to water? If she had only known that, then she would've been able to bring her back earlier.

Terra nodded and closed her eyes. She had never told them this, because they would be able to take her down. "Well, when water was mixed with earth, it was hard for me to control it. And every time I took a bath, well, you guys saw what happened to your bathroom." Terra blushed slightly. "Sorry."

"And now your weakness to water has increased?" Beast Boy asked. "How?"

"I can explain," Raven said quietly and all the titans turned to her. Raven stepped forward, arms crossed. "I found a spell to increase ones weakness and I used it on Terra while she was a statue."

"You what?" Terra exclaimed.

"I was doing all I could to bring you back to normal," Raven said. "It seems it was the one spell that worked."

The titans looked at Raven in surprise. Beast Boy couldn't believe it. Raven saved Terra. She brought her back. Why didn't Raven tell them?

Bumblebee folded her arms. "That makes sense. It was raining when I found Terra and she was all muddy. I bet the mud was from her body, when it was all stone."

"And the rain turned her stone into mud," Robin whispered, "causing Terra to wake up."

"So Raven's spell worked!" Beast Boy explained.

"I want to speak to Terra alone," said Raven.

"Now?" asked Beast Boy.

"Yes," said Raven, glancing at him. "Don't worry, Beast Boy. I'll control myself."

"B-but," Beast Boy mumbled.

"It's important," Raven said. "Since it was my spell that revived her, there are some things she should know."

"Yeah, all right," said Bumblebee. "Now that we know how Terra's all better, we can start trying to figure out what Black Rose wants with her."

"Okay," said Terra, "I guess we can talk in my room."

Raven followed Terra out of the main room, leaving all the titans behind. The two girls were quiet until they reached Terra's room. Raven shut the door behind them and told Terra to sit down. Terra refused.

"I said, sit down," Raven muttered and a chair slid up behind Terra and jammed the back of her knees, causing her to fall into the chair. Two bands of black energy fastened Terra in the chair.

"What's this for?" Terra said.

"I just want to make sure you don't do anything stupid," Raven said. "I've got many things to say to you and I'm not going anywhere unless I've said them...neither are you." Raven added.

"Well, what is it?" Terra demanded.

"You endangered my friends for the last time," said Raven. "You pretended to be our friend and you betrayed us. You tried to kill us."

"I know, I'm sorry, all right!" Terra groaned. "It was a mistake."

"Why did you betray us?"

"I didn't mean to," Terra insisted. "I just needed help controlling my powers. Slade said he could help me."

"When?" Raven asked. "From the beginning? Did he send you to us?"

"No," Terra said. "I never met him before, honest! The first time I saw him was when we were in that mine. There was a cave in…"

"Caused by you," said Raven, judgingly.

"It was an accident!" Terra cried. "I lost control. I tried to stop it, but it just happened. Then we all got separated and I saw Slade. I followed him, but I didn't realize that he was just luring me to a trap. He was after me the whole time."

"He knew who you were?"

"He's been watching me," said Terra, "I don't know how but he knew about me. He knew that I had trouble controlling my powers. That was when he offered to help me."

"We were helping you," Raven muttered.

Terra shook her head. "But Slade said I needed a teacher and not obstacle courses. He told me that when you guys found out my secret you would reject me, just like everyone else."

"You believed him? You trusted Slade, over us?"

"I'm sorry, I told you I was sorry!" Terra exclaimed. "I thought at first Slade was lying. Beast Boy knew and he was going to tell you, which is exactly what happened."

"Look, as annoying as Beast Boy is," said Raven, "he does know how to keep a secret."

"No, he told Robin!" Terra said. "Beast Boy lied to me!"

"Beast Boy is not a liar!" Raven snarled, her eyes glowing red. "He didn't tell Robin anything, Robin figured it out on his own! He saw your performance in the obstacle course, the way you moved the earth and he knew you caused the cave in. Robin isn't an idiot."

Terra remained still and quiet. Beast Boy didn't lie? He really kept his word? Was her lack of control really that obvious?

"We never should've taken you in," said Raven, causing Terra to gasp. "We were doing fine until you wrecked everything. You have any idea what you've done to the team, Beast Boy especially?"

"I didn't mean to hurt anybody, Raven," Terra said. "I just wanted to get my powers under control. I didn't know I had to work for Slade. I didn't know I was going to have to betray you."

"You thought his help was going to be free?" Raven demanded.

Terra frowned. "Well, yes."

Raven gave a short laugh. "Pathetic. I'm going to give you this one last warning. Stay away from my friends. They don't need you to hurt them anymore. You want to stay with the Titans East, that's fine, just stay away from us."

"What about Beast Boy?"

"Especially Beast Boy!" Raven hissed. "He was a mess when he found out what you did and when you were a statue, he stayed out one night until it nearly killed him! So I came to your statue and decided to give you a new haircut. Stay away from him!"

At the moment, Terra couldn't feel bad for Beast Boy. She didn't even care that Raven cut her hair when she was in her stony state. She was surprised by Raven's behavior. Could Raven be jealous?

Terra smiled. "Oh, I know what this is about…you're jealous of Beast Boy and me, aren't you?"

"What?" Raven stepped back, hands at her sides. "I don't know what you're talking about. I just don't want my friends to hurt anymore. They've been through enough already."

"Liar," said Terra, "you've got a thing for Beast Boy. You always have. I'm surprised I didn't notice it before. He likes me and you can't stand it."

Raven tightened her hands into fists. "Shut up."

"Well, you can relax," said Terra, "I'm not coming back to Titans tower and I'm not planning on staying with the Titans East. As soon as I'm able, I'm going to make my own little island in the ocean. If you take this spell off me, I could do it sooner."

"Forget it," said Raven. "I'm not going to do it. Now that I know what your weakness is, I will use it to my advantage."

"What?"

"I'll have Aqualad keep a close eye on you," Raven said softly. "To keep you out of trouble."

"I don't want to cause any more trouble!" Terra exclaimed. "Just take this spell off me, right now!"

"No," said Raven. "You're in no position to negotiate…I own you, Terra. I will decide when to take the spell off, not you."

"Fine," Terra muttered. "Are you finished?"

Raven paused. "Yes, for now." Raven turned and stepped out of Terra's room, the thick bands of energy disappearing from Terra's torso and allowing her to get up, but Terra remained in the chair.

--

When Beast Boy noticed that Raven was out of Terra's room, he hurried passed her without one look. Raven paused and watched Beast Boy hurry to Terra. Raven frowned. She had expected that the team would be ready to leave. Now that she had her say, she didn't want to hang around the Titan's East anymore. Beast Boy was going to talk to Terra for hours.

"We were discussing Black Rose," Robin told Raven. "And who she might be working for."

"She never gave any inclination of working for someone," Raven murmured. "I think she worked alone."

"Well, whether she works for anyone or not," said Bumblebee, "she's dangerous. We have to keep her from finding Terra."

"She's a tough fighter," commented Speedy, though he sounded more impressed with Black Rose than threatened. "She's excellent with the Bo Staff."

"So am I," muttered Robin. "We'll find this Black Rose and we'll find out what she wants with Terra."

--

When Terra let Beast Boy in her room, he hugged her for the longest time. He could hardly believe it. She was alive. She was all right and she remembered everything. It was as if nothing happened.

"Beast Boy," Terra murmured, "you can let me go now."

"I'm afraid if I let you go," said Beast Boy, "you'll disappear."

Terra chuckled. "Don't be so paranoid. I won't disappear."

He slowly let her go and Terra stepped back, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"It's so good to see you," Beast Boy said.

"Yeah…" Terra said awkwardly. "Well, how are you?"

"I'm better, now that I know you're back," Beast Boy. "You were in stone for so long, I gave up hope. I thought you were going to be stuck like that forever. It's a good thing Raven knows so many spells."

"Yeah," Terra said, sitting on her bed.

"Terra?" Beast Boy said softly.

"What?"

"This is probably going to sound stupid," Beast Boy said, rubbing the back of his head and smiling to himself. "But I was wondering—when you were a statue—could you hear anything? Or see anything?"

Terra furrowed her eyebrow. "Huh?"

"Well, I came to see you all the time," Beast Boy persisted. "And I talked to you…could you hear me?"

Terra smiled and shook her head. "No, I don't remember anything. When I was a statue, it was like I was in a coma."

"Oh, okay," Beast Boy said. "Yeah, guess you're right. Anyway, that doesn't matter. You're coming back with us. It will be just like old times." He smiled broadly.

"Er, not exactly," said Terra.

"What?" Beast Boy's smile faltered slightly. "Aren't you coming back to Jump City with us?"

"I'm afraid not," Terra told him. "Sorry. I'm not ready to go back to Jump City."

"But I thought…" Beast Boy said. "Bumblebee said you wanted to see us."

"Yeah, I just wanted you guys to know I was alive," Terra said, "before you found my statue missing."

"So, you're staying here?" Beast Boy asked.

"For now," Terra said. "I'm working on controlling my powers, again. It's harder now, that I'm under Raven's spell."

"She didn't take it off you?" Beast Boy asked.

Terra shook her head.

"Why not?"

"I guess she thinks I'm better off this way," Terra said. "It's all right though. It helps my concentration."

"Okay, well, when you're done practicing, you'll be ready to come back." Beast Boy said.

"No, Beast Boy," said Terra. "I don't think I'll ever go back to Jump City."

"What do you mean?" Beast Boy asked.

Terra sighed. "When I leave the Titans East, I'll make my own island in the ocean. Away from everyone."

"Terra, you can't!" Beast Boy cried. "Come back with us."

"No, Beast Boy, listen to me," Terra insisted, "I nearly had all of you killed. It's better if I'm on my own. You can visit if you want but…I'm just too dangerous. I don't want to hurt anyone again."

Beast Boy stared at her. Terra had to be joking. This couldn't be true. Finally, Terra was back but she wouldn't go back to the Teen Titans? She was going to isolate herself from her friends? He couldn't believe it. Then a thought struck him.

"Wait, did Raven—" he began.

"No," Terra said firmly. "Raven didn't put me up to this. I actually tried to make an island on my own a few days ago and I nearly killed myself, not to mention many of Aqualad's friends."

"You're really going to cut yourself off from everyone?" Beast Boy said.

"That's how I was before I met the titans," Terra said. "And I did just fine. Don't worry about me, Beast Boy."

Beast Boy felt so humiliated and disappointed. He shouldn't have given his hopes up. He should've known Terra would want to be alone after her mistakes. He felt so stupid.

"Yeah, of course," said Beast Boy. "I know you can take care of yourself. I'm just glad that you're back."

Terra smiled. "It's good to be back."

"Well, I'll see you around," Beast Boy said softly.

"Yeah, come by anytime," Terra said, but she didn't care if Beast Boy came or not. She could tell by his drooping ears that he was upset. She just said it, hoping it would make him feel better.

"Sure."

Feeling like the lowest life form on the face of the earth, Beast Boy turned to leave. It was time for him to return to Jump City, alone. Terra stood still in quiet, half wanting to cry out to him. She hated hurting others. She was breaking Beast Boy's heart all over again. She wanted to go back to Jump City and be with the Titans again. She wanted things to be back to the way they were, but as much as she wished it, it would never happen. She caused so much pain for the Titans and so much turmoil for Jump City. The people have moved back, but they remembered the blond geomancer that turned their city upside down. They wouldn't want her back. Jump City had too many bad memories for her. She could not return to Jump City, no matter how much she wanted to.

--

After saying goodbye to her old "friends" Terra retired to her room to think. She didn't have much time because Aqualad came to her room, a glass of water in hand.

"I thought your plant could use some water," he said, walking to the plant to her window sill.

"Oh, thanks," she murmured, not bothering to get up from her bed. "But we put water in this morning…will too much water drown it?"

"It's just a little," said Aqualad after lifting a couple drops into the cup with a wave of his hand. He knew the plant had enough water, but he used it an excuse to check up on her. He knew that seeing the Titans after so long was hard for her. He sat the nearly full glass of water on the window sill.

"You can keep this here…for the plant…or if you get thirsty."

"Yeah, whatever," she muttered.

He turned and looked at her lying on her bed. She looked so beautiful and yet so sad.

"How was it seeing the Titans again?" Aqualad inquired.

"Okay I guess," she groaned.

Terra felt the bed shift as he sat at the foot of it. "What about your talk with Raven? How'd that go?"

"I asked her to take the spell off," Terra said, "but she wouldn't."

"Maybe she doesn't know how," Aqualad said gently.

"Oh, sure she doesn't!" Terra sat up straight, her blue eyes narrowed in anger. "She wants to use my weakness to her advantage. I bet she loves seeing me miserable, not being able to move a clump of mud! She even said she'd have you keep an eye on me…keep me in line…" she glared at him.

"She didn't say anything to me about that," he said.

"Don't cover for her!" Terra cried. "You'll throw a waterball at me whenever I'll do something stupid."

"No, I won't," Aqualad said.

"You liar!" Terra shouted, jumping to her feet and pointing at him. "I bet she you guys had a nice chat about me, didn't you?"

"Actually, we were all discussing Black Rose."

"Great, another person who wants me dead!" Terra said, throwing her hands to her head. "Why doesn't everyone just leave me alone!" She went on saying how her life was so unfair and everyone was out to get her.

Still sitting, Aqualad pointed at the glass of water, lifted a small amount from the glass and splashed Terra's face. She stopped yelling and looked at him in shock.

"You…"

"Calm down, Terra," he said, rising to his feet and embracing her. "You're over reacting."

"You…splashed me!" she muttered.

"I know, sorry," he whispered, still holding on her. "But not because Raven told me to. No one told me to do anything. I just want to help you, that's all."

"I don't need your help," Terra muttered. "I don't need anyone's help. The last time I accepted help from someone I had to betray my friends."

"I'm not Slade," Aqualad told her. "I won't expect anything in return, except that you'll be nice to my water friends, okay?"

For reasons unknown, Terra cracked up laughing. "You're so stupid…your water friends…"

"Terra, you're not stone anymore," Aqualad said. "You don't have to keep acting tough."

Terra was still laughing. "You're not making any sense." She stepped away from him. "I know I'm not stone anymore, you idiot!"

"Yes, your body's not stone," said Aqualad, "so why do you need to make your heart as stone?"

Terra swallowed and folded her arms. She wasn't going to let him get to her. "Oh, shut up! What do you know?"

"Terra, I…"

"Get out of my room!" she yelled at him. "Go play with your dolphins or something. Just leave me alone."

He looked at her for a moment, then stood up and left the room. Terra slammed the door after him and slid against it, fighting back the tears. She found herself wishing that remained as a statue and Raven never used that spell on her. Everything was so difficult now.

--

Starfire was also upset that Terra was not coming with them to Jump City. "But I was going to let Terra sample more of my homemade glorg!" she said sadly as the T-ship landed on the tower.

"She's not ready to come back to Jump City," Raven said softly. "What matters is that she is safe."

"Yeah, that's true," said Cyborg. "Bee will keep a good eye on her."

The titans all separated to their bedrooms, though Robin went to the main room to try and find research on Black Rose. He had to find whatever he could on the mysterious assassin. Who was she and why was she after Terra? Who's side was she on? Bumblebee, Starfire and Raven all told them it was hard to tell. Raven assumed she was like Red X. Not really bad, but not really good. She was straddling the line between good and evil. Could Raven be right?

"Whoever you are, Black Rose," Robin whispered. "I'll find you."

--

Raven was just about to step into her room when Beast Boy called out to her.

"Raven wait!"

Was he going to ask her what she and Terra spoke about? She didn't want to explain herself. He had already talked to Terra. She could've told him their conversation. However, Beast Boy didn't demand any answers. He morphed into a grizzly bear, opened his huge and furry arms wide and gave her the mother of all bear hugs. Raven felt like her bones were crushing and her eyes were going to pop out of her sockets. Within a few seconds, Beast Boy released her and set her back down.

"Raven, thank you for all you did for Terra," he said, once he regained human form.

"W-what?" Raven gasped.

Beast Boy was looking at Raven with pure admiration. She couldn't believe it. He was thanking her. He was actually thanking her.

"I know Terra isn't your favorite person," he told her softly. "And you didn't want her back, but you kept trying to bring her back, when I wanted to help her but there was nothing I could to bring her back. It must've been hard."

"Well, it wasn't easy," admitted Raven. "There were many spells and I had to prepare myself for them. The spell took much out of me."

"Wait…that day…when you were sick," Beast Boy said suddenly. "You were so weak I helped you to your room. You just came from putting the spell on Terra, right?"

Raven nodded. "Yes. I didn't realize it would effect me that way."

Beast Boy continued to beam at her. Raven looked back at him, confused and nervous. Beast Boy never looked at her that way before. She wasn't sure what to think about it.

"You're incredible, Raven," he said. "You can move things with your mind--"

"Telekinesis is a common power," Raven said.

"You took a dude from a book then confined him back in--"

"Malikior—Rorek was the one who taught me the spell," Raven insisted.

"You stopped the world from ending—"

"I couldn't have done it without you and the others," Raven tried to say.

"And you turned Terra back to normal!"

"I had to go to Azarath to--"

This time Beast Boy interrupted her. He hugged her onemore time, in human form. Raven looked at him in surprise. He was hugging her. It had been a logn time since they shared such a moment. Raven wasn't sure what to think of it. Finally Beast Boy released Raven.

"You can do everything, can't you, Raven?"

Raven opened her door. "Almost everything. Good night Beast Boy, and you're welcome." She stepped inside her room, walked to her bed and sat down. It was true, Raven has done many things and she had the potential to do almost everything. However, she coulldn't get Beast Boy to feel about her the way she felt about him.

To Be Continued