-+-A Thousand Shades of Gray-+-

+The Shade of Warning+

"You can't buy love … although many have tried …"

- Chris D.

X reached for the door knob and turned, but tsk when it was locked, so being as polite as his short temper was allowing he knocked on the door, however, in the process he began to pick the lock silently, "Raven … let me in, I need to talk to you."

"I need a moment," she responded breathlessly.

He rolled his eyes and once he heard the click of the jimmied door, he slowly turned the knob and cracked it open, peering around for Raven, he opened it wider and found her sitting on his bed staring out the cracked window. Cracked because it was the room Milo and him got into their first confrontation and Milo slammed him against the window wall. X still remembered the headache he got afterwards as he slipped in silently. Closing the door with a purposefully click she stiffened and stood straight up and stared at him with watery violet eyes. She wasn't crying … but she looked like she was coming to it.

Narrowing her eyes she huffed, "I said I needed a moment."

X leaned against the door and crossed his arms over his chest giving her a dry look, "Well I don't have a moment … my patience is just about fizzled with Milo … he destroys my house, steals my suit, and to top it off … he knows you … now how can that be I wonder?"

Raven scoffed and rolled her eyes, turning away from him she shook her head, "Please, I don't need the jealous act right now … I'm getting it enough from Robin as it is, I don't need it from you."

"Oh … this isn't jealousy," despite saying it aloud, X still felt like grinding his teeth as he pushed off the door and crossed the room slowly while Raven looked over her shoulder with that ice cold glare. Warning him to back off … but she knew she should know better … X never backs off, "trust me precious, I don't get jealous …"

"Right …" Raven frowned and finished off his statement, remembering the scowl he had on his face as the same in that department store back at the strip in Steel City, "… you get what you want."

He shrugged nonchalantly, "Now that we have that out of the way … mind telling me how you know Milo?"

Raven scoffed and looked off to the side when he stood right in front of her no more than two feet away, and no less, "His names Malchior."

"So I figured, but how do you know him … care to elaborate?"

The sorceress glared at him skeptically, "Why are you interrogating me? I did nothing wrong here."

"Maybe not, but you're back on the team … meaning I can't trust you."

A look of utter disbelief and insult crossed her face as she backed up, but the back of her leg ran into the bed, she didn't flinch, but her ice-stare grew colder and the room temperatures dropped significantly, "You're a real bastard you know that. If I wanted to sell you out I would have done so already."

His obsidian eyes darkened, as he condescended to her level and mocked her, "Oh I wouldn't put it passed you, I bet your boyfriend dug every last detail of your stay with me right out of your mouth … literally if you catch my drift."

She raised her arm, cocked it back and bit down on her lower lip prepared to leave a serious red hand print on the side of his face, but he was faster. He grabbed her wrist and knocked her off balance, throwing her on the bed and trapping her under him, making sure she wasn't able to move. Raven instinctively tried to contort her body to loosen her foot and kick him off, but apparently she forgot who she was dealing with because X subdued her like a pro … which … she bet he was. Grunting in discomfort she flashed her eyes white and warned him once, "Get off me."

"Why?" he teased with that trademark smirk on his coy face his grey eyes caught the right angle of the light causing it to sparkle silver with flecks of sapphire blue that Raven had never saw before … but it made him seem more playful, "Don't like to hear the truth? If you don't mind my asking, how far did the two of you go after I hung up on you?"

"You sick pervert!" Raven felt her magic building up, but for some odd reason or the other she couldn't bring herself to use it, "I lost my title as a Titan because I came here to help you! I'm going to be standing trial for obstruction of justice and for being an asset to your escapades! How's that for going far!"

He reared his head back and raised a brow then shook his head in disbelief, "Why would you do something so stupid! I let you go back to your team so you wouldn't have to suffer because of me damn it!"

Raven closed her eyes and looked away, wanting to hide her face when she felt her cheeks flushing red, "Gods … please, X … please tell me you didn't grow a conscience."

"I didn't," he let go of one of her wrists, but only to hook her chin and turned her back up to look at him, she did and she looked tired, inching down to hover only a few centimeters above her face he managed a humorous smirk and a light chuckle, "you grew on me."

Silver and flaky sapphire blue eyes should be a damn crime.

Raven brought her free hand to his shoulder to stop him, but ended up grabbing a fist full of his shirt when he massaged his lips against hers sending waves of electricity flowing through out her body. The crack in his window created a giant spider-web as her powers nearly shattered it. Gripping onto his shirt till her knuckles turned white kept her feet well enough on the ground to control her powers as he deepened such a forbidden sensation. Relaxing both their postures, Raven couldn't help to sigh when he gave her the freedom to move while he rested comfortable on top of her.

Massaging her mouth open with his parted lips, he didn't know whether to be amused or shocked at her eagerness to participate in the ultimate foreplay. He felt one of her hands running up from his belt over his abs, up his chest around his shoulders to weave through his hair pulling him closer. Quite taken back that she wasn't as shy as he thought she was, he wanted to see just how far she'd go before she thought enough was enough. He felt her up with no shame groping and purposefully fluttering ever so close to sensitive areas just to get her to squirm. Even going so far as to trail a hand from her knee up her inner thigh, painfully slowly … and just as he was close enough to tickle her center, he pulled away to place his hand on the small of her back.

Raven reacted on touch alone, pulling away from the kiss to arch her body into his a low growl of frustration rose in her throat, but she swallowed it down and clung to X as he continued to drive her literally insane. Her eyes were blinking back and forth from violet to white to scarlet then back, until her sanity called her back and made her realize just what was going on. Being hazy through out the entire time she was gasping for air and staring wide-eyed at the ceiling. X had shrugged off her leather jacket and yanked off her belt, her tang-top was pushed high enough only to expose her midriff and her button was undone.

He looked up at her with that dangerous grin and pounced; Raven gasped, but was silenced when he crushed his lips against hers. Her already red face turning even redder, finally feeling just how far she had let this go on, pressed so close against him the only thing to stop them were their bothersome clothes … which he was just on his way to relieving her of such articles. Raven sat up, forcing X to crawl off and away when she put her hands on his shoulders and gently pushed him off her.

Both of them trying to catch their breath and Raven trying so hard to get his taste out of her mind and that burning ache in the pit of her gut, she pulled down her tang-top while X smoothed back his ruffled hair and smirked. Raven forced herself to look away; already feeling embarrassed to have reacted so eagerly, she gulped and carefully got to her feet. Reaching down on the bed for her jacket, she paused and looked around noticing that it was on the floor, she once again tried to hide her blush.

She bent over to pick it up and once she stood back up, X was wrapped around her waist and kissing her neck, breathing on her skin, doing anything and everything to have her attention all to himself again. Even zipping up the zipper of her pants slowly and fastening the button. "You know … you look so cute when you blush."

Raven gritted her teeth, 'cute' was pushing it and she tried to move from him, but he held her in place, the sorceress scoffed, "I'm sure you say that to all your girlfriends."

He chuckled and whispered, "And I'm sure as hell none of them were as stubborn as you are. Let me ask you something … are you always this defiant?"

"… If I wasn't than Malchior would have had an easier time ruling the world."

X snorted and rested his chin on her shoulder, "Speaking of the lizard … you still hadn't told me how you know him."

Raven sighed and couldn't help to lean against him, feeling as snug as a bug in a rug when he let her, "… I had the book he was trapped in … I set him free … didn't know how much of an ass he was until I had to put him back in."

"Trapped in a book?"

"Yeah."

"That's not what Marisa told me."

"What did she tell you?"

"She told me Rorek 'defeated' the dragon," Raven pulled away from him and turned to give him the same look he had on his own face, confusion.

She shook her head, "No … Rorek couldn't turn water to wine even if he tried … he was low-level sorcerer looking to make a name for himself, back in those times slaying a dragon was a big deal … but all he could manage to do was seal Malchior into a book for all time. Marisa should know this because its in her families history, Rorek's brother was the one who documented all of his pass events."

"Then how did the book end up in your hands?"

Raven scrutinized the thief, "… X … The Van'Gareths were falling out of money so they had to sell most of their assets in order to stay on the map … apparently they got careless and sold the book as well."

"To you?"

"No, to some University in Jump City that I saved on occasion, they didn't know how else to thank me, so they gave me the book as a present."

X's face fell as he scoffed, "A book? For a present? How cheap can they get?"

Raven frowned at his comment, "Its not the present itself that matters, it's the thought."

"Must have not been very thoughtful," X muttered, and Raven shook her head, but it was now his turn to frown when something struck him, "The Van'Gareths were having money problems?"

"Yes …" Raven tilted her head, "You didn't know?"

He opened his mouth then shook his head slowly, "Surprisingly … enough … no … when did this happen?"

"Well … the Malchior Incident happened about a year ago … so … I'd say that's about the same time there was a money fallout with Marisa's family. I thought you knew all this already?"

"Nope … but isn't it such a coincidence that about a year ago since Marisa tried to blackmail me into marrying her, Leon had already announced the final terms of my inheritance. I'd get everything following his death or … if I were get married legitimately. However, if I had a child born or conceived out of wed-lock I'd loose everything. Honestly, I could careless, but … I had to think of Lola, she deserves better."

The gears were ticking, and Raven was not liking where this was headed, "X … do you remember discussing a prenup with her? Because if she didn't want one than following the events of your death or a divorcé, depending on if you were to get married here in Steel City, it'll mean she'd be entitled to half, if not all of your assets."

X sneered, "I always knew she was after something … I just didn't think it was money considering her family is well off."

Raven huffed, "X, that's not the point … she's connected with Malchior, she has a grudge against you for sneaking your way out of her deal, she knows the Dagos, and I'm a Titan that she probably thinks you're working with to get back at her."

"Or," he grinned and hooked her chin, bring her up so he could kiss her, Raven blinked when he whispered, "she could just be jealous of you."

"… That's shallow," Raven looked away and frowned, muttering she walked around X briskly headed for the door, "… we really have to talk to Malchior."

X had no objections; he followed her out into the hall towards the vault that Malchior was supposed to be inside – which was still wide-open. Raven rushed to the frame and looked around, but the dragon was nowhere to be found. She glanced back at X who turned and started to search for the dragon, but first he had to be sure Jamie and Otto were safe, "Otto! Jamie!"

Raven sensed the two were held up somewhere on the other side of the house, she grabbed X's wrist and lead him towards the garage where they both noticed the door wasn't just a jarred. The lock was ripped off, a sick feeling in the pit of Raven's stomach lurched as she opened the door and found Jamie and Otto on the ground apparently knocked out. Dropping to her knees besides them both, X sucked in a deep breath trying to control a rising fit while he looked around and scowled, "Shit … he took the bike … are they okay?"

Raven shuttered at the amount of rage built behind his otherwise deadly calm voice … the only one to have ever unsettled her when it came to anger was Robin, but since he was a 'good-guy'. His level of intensity never rose above wanting to pound someone's face in … where as a criminal like X, his rage went above and beyond to dangerously dark ideas and sadistic logic. Wild, but controlled, Raven faintly wondered just how much it'll take to get him to loose his temper entirely.

Of course … she wasn't going to be first in line to test the limitations.

She looked up at him and nodded, "They'll be okay … nothing bad, he wasn't aiming to kill either of them."

"But he still took my bike, questions are why and where?"

Raven sighed, "Well … it's probably a long shot … but … chances are she's been planning something like this for awhile, Marisa I mean. You know, as a back up plan for when her first plan when array. Remember when I said Slade wasn't behind all this?"

X nodded, "Yeah, but why did you say that? The day you left was the day Slade tried to take my frickin' head off."

"That must have been Marisa, because Slade didn't even know where we went when Dago's men tried to kill you for selling off the Pendent of Infinity. Marisa must have been trying to herd you back to Hawthorne … she just didn't count on me being around."

"But this doesn't explain Milo's fucked up sense of humor!"

"You said he destroyed your house," Raven immediately cut in trying to calm X down by staying on topic, "what else did he do?"

The thief began to pace, "Besides repeating over and over that his name wasn't Milo and acting like someone knocked him over the head or choking him. The bastard just took huge chunks of my place."

Raven frowned and brought a hand up to her neck, remembering when she was being injected with the Elixir, getting the feeling of her head split and loosing all control of reality. Having cleaned herself once she got back to the Tower, the memory of feeling so lost was still present … she looked up at X and gave him a heads up, "… She has him on the Elixir."

"What?" he snapped at her with a pointed look.

Raven glared, "I said, Marisa's controlling Malchior through the Elixir … the spell that was mixed within the chemical … it's a binding curse. Gives the subordinate the feeling of being on a leash … but since it's half chemical and Malchior and I aren't humans our immune system treats it like a virus and attacks it. That's what causes the moment of total mind loss, apart of our existence knows we're being controlled and we instinctively fight it … unleashing our darkest fears and forcing ourselves into a state of paranoia."

X scowled, "Whoever's supplying these psychos gotta stop."

"Right, but for now help me get these two into the house." Raven and X proceeded to carry Jamie and Otto into the house and in one of the rooms. Placing them on the beds, Raven ran to the kitchen to grab any random bowl and clothes and came back to wipe the blood off of their faces and hair. Making sure that there was no real damage done, she glanced at X, noticing that he was writing something in a notebook, he tore out the page and placed it on the nightstand. Raven scanned it and raised a brow when it read:

Went to see Tessa, give her a call when you wake up.

Robin

"Who's Tessa?" Raven asked curiously.

X shrugged, "Somebody." Raven nodded and left it at that, despite the dieing urge to know just how they knew each other. X must have sensed her silent question and sighed, "… She's … kind of my rival in my business … and … um … my … half … sister …"

The world flipped, Raven jerked her head back and stared at X in shock, "You have a sister?"

"My father's previous marriage."

"Older sister?"

"No … younger … it's complicated," X took a deep breath and sighed heavily as if admitting he had a sister was one of the hardest secrets to tell, Raven blinked and shook her head then stood up and wiped her hands on her pants.

"Well … if we're going to see her … then … we better go now."

The thief furrowed his brows and gave her a perplexed look, "You never asked me about my family … aren't you the least bit curious?"

Raven avoided his stare and headed for the door, "Not really … Robin told me how your mother was a former assassin, who married an FBI agent, Jonathan Street …"

"… So … you really did tell Robin my name."

She spun around and immediately denied it, "No … he found it out all on his own."

X shot her a dry look, "Really?"

Raven nodded, and put a hand on her heart lifting her other hand and swearing by it, "Scouts honor."

The thief chuckled and walked up to her, tangling his hand into her violet hair he brought her up to kiss her forehead and whisper, "Hate to tell you this angel, but he bluffed you."

"No," Raven pulled away and glared at him, "Robin wouldn't do that …"

"Did he out right accuse me of being Red X?"

"… No … but –"

"He was bluffing, and you fell for it," X grinned and shook his head, and muttered to himself, "sneaker than I thought."

Raven refused to believe that she was tricked, no way was she that stupid!

There was no way!

Robin would never do something like that … would he? She looked up at X and he shrugged when gestured with a jerk of his head towards the door where he lead both of them out and to the front where her car was. Raven instinctively went to the driver's side, but X beat her to it and held out his hand to her keys. She scrutinized him, then scoffed and pushed him aside, "I don't think so, my car, my keys, I'm driving, just show me the way."

"I'm betting you drive as slow as Leon if and whenever he's in the driver's seat." X smirked.

Raven grabbed the handle, yanked it open and made sure to hit X with the door when he tried to stop her. Sliding into the seat she used her power and fixed the window along with the key mark on the passenger side where X got in and sat with an obvious pout. He glared at her, and Raven rolled her eyes, "Put your seat belt on boy, Titan or not, I still abide by the law."

"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me …" X sneered as he reached for the belt and buckled himself in; Raven stuck her keys into the ignition and turned it on. Throwing the car into reverse she pulled out of the driveway with surprising ease and onto the road, X watched her and noticed how comfortable she was behind the wheel. Relaxed, but alert … he nearly laughed when he came to an interesting realization, "You know how to ride."

Raven blinked and had to think for a moment what he meant, then glanced at him and shrugged, "How do you figure?"

"You're confident in your seat," he chuckled, "I'm sure if you had to, you could make this thing turn out all kinds of tricks. Only thing I want to know is where'd you learn it?"

"… Honestly …" Raven sighed and chewed on her lower lip, "… my job requires drastic measures most of the time … so I learn everything as I go. Plus it doesn't hurt to have Cyborg as a driving instructor and … I probably learned most of my hazardous driving from Robin subconsciously, whenever I have to ride with him."

"So it's not that you're scared of speed … it's that you're more comfortable when you're the one behind the wheel."

"I guess, if you want to put it like that."

He nodded, convinced that was it and looked at the road, noticing they were coming close to a certain hidden turn he motioned for her to take a right and she did. Right onto a small stone bridge going over a small creek, a road covered with fallen dead leaves and lushes green trees whose colors brightened within the gloomy gray day. Cozy with a hint of an enigmatic spell cast over the winding curving road, Raven smoothly took the turns even went a little faster just to feel the curves.

X couldn't help the smirk on his face as he leaned back in the leather chair, closed his eyes and chilled, "Just keep on the road and when you spot this funky looking tree, take a left."

Raven blinked and glanced at him, "Define 'funky'."

"It looks like it's screaming …"

"Right …" Raven complied keeping on the road she kept her eyes out for the screaming tree. A few more minutes of driving in complete and comfortable silence she spotted it to her right, but X said to take a left and she noticed the leaf covered pavement. Raven got on the road and gasped when a gate suddenly jumped out of nowhere!

She stomped on the break and lucky for them they were both wearing their seat belts, otherwise one of them would have eaten the windshield. X grimaced, and glared at out the window, then jerked his head back and tilted his head in confusion, "That wasn't there before …"

Raven sighed and leaned her forehead on the wheel, "Just how long has it been since you've seen your sister?"

"You mean as in visiting?" X shrugged, "Hell if I know … she's a real bitch, hate her."

"…" she gave him a dry look.

He unbuckled himself and got out of the car; Raven stayed put and watched him walk to the black gate. He looked around, observed it, then looked back at Raven and motioned for her to cut the engine and come out. She did and stuffed her keys in her pocket, locked her doors and walked up to the thief who scanned the gate and looked down at her, "No way in … no way to get connected to her … looks like we're gonna have to jump it."

Raven huffed and double checked for him, even if she knew that he was right, she growled and choked down the urge to kick the damn gate in irritation, "This has just went beyond the point of tolerance to down right ridiculous! Why do we need to see your sister anyway!"

The thief shrugged and walked over to the joint where the steel gated met the concrete pillars holding it up. Studying the hinges, he tilted his head then reached into his back pocket. Pulling out what looked like pepper-spray; she watched him carefully and felt her jaw go slack when he sprayed one hinge with some kind of liquid that created mist as it came in contact with the steel. He repeated this process until all the hinges were sprayed and X jumped to the ground, putting his spray back in his pocket; he bent down and from his socks pulled out a .45 black caliber.

He took aim at the hinges and fired, Raven jumped back as the steel shattered like glass and the gate groaned and dropped in a heap. Leaving an opening for them to cross, Raven looked around not quite sure she believed what she was seeing as X put the gun back and hid it under his pants. He looked at her and gestured to the opening, "Let's go."

He took a running start, stomped on the gate, kicked off he pillar and landed on the other side, Raven didn't know whether he was showing off or not, but she levitated off the ground and landed gracefully beside him, "I can fly … you could have just asked."

"Doesn't work that way," he pointed to the pillars, "there are sensors on either side, she would have known, so I had to disconnect it somehow, and what's a better way to say 'Fuck you' than to break her shit."

Raven rolled her eyes, and looked down the road to notice that just beyond the trees there was a house near by. X began to walk down the road and she followed, curiosity having already chewed off the back of her head, she had to ask, "I don't get it … what happened between the two of you to hate each other so much?"

"We screwed each other over on more than one assignment." He shrugged and looked down at her, "It's more of a professional hatred than blood related animosity … although … I think that's where it stems from. Since she never met Jonathan, she's got that 'I-have-to-know-who-my-father-is' complex and when she found out he was gunned down, she swore to find out who his killer was. She connected Jonathan to Travis, and then to Lola who she thought was the one to kill her father because of her rep, but, I convinced her otherwise. It never helped the problem anyway. She believes it was Lola's fault that Jonathan left her family and was killed … so … yeah … that's that story."

"Should I feel sorry for you two?" Raven asked honestly, not quite sure what to feel because X was so dry and void of all emotions as he explained that story, she didn't know what to say.

He looked down at her and grinned, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her to him he chuckled, "You don't gotta feel anything."

Just like that, they strolled down the road under the coolness of the gloomy day with the trees shielding them from the cloudy skies and whispering softly as a nice breeze blew through. It was then hat Raven realized she had forgotten her jacket at X's place and shuttered as a chill raced though her body. She tried to hide it as best she could, but X still felt her shutter and pulled her close. It would have been a romantic moment, but romance was far from Raven's mind.

They broke through the trees and stopped just before they entered the driveway of another nice house. It wasn't as big as X's, but it wasn't small either … as a matter of fact, it was just the right size for a large family of maybe four kids. Black and white with what looked like a large pond just in front of the house complete with lily pads, a few cherub statues here and there, Raven looked down into the shallow water and noticed some colorful fish were swimming lazily or just floating around.

Colorful, and playful with a touch of historical class, X lead her to the porch and up to the dual doors, he pressed the doorbell and stood back. His arm finally sliding off Raven, Raven couldn't help to notice how he took a few steps back from the door, keeping her just a little behind him.

They waited patiently for the door to open … and when it did, a little girl about the age of 10 popped her light brown head out, her eyes a crystal grey, and just over her left eye was a silver brow-ring. A black choker around her neck, with a red X dangling off the chain, accompany it were a few other silver chains and spikes, her wrists covered with bracelets and arm bands. Wearing a large over sized t-shirt with the words 'Chaos Child' patched on, homemade cuts within the O exposed her tanned skin.

Although, it wouldn't have mattered because the bottom of the over sized shirt was chopped off exposing her midriff and belly ring and the top was cut as well with two straps left holding it together to expos her shoulders. Her ears pierced with chains hanging off them, she blinked and stuffed her thumb into a pocket of her tight low rider jeans and she snorted. Glancing into the house she looked up at X and sighed, speaking, Raven notice that she had a tongue ring.

She pushed the door open and gestured them in, "Tessa's in the kitchen, she's cooking dinner … but I'd be careful, she's working with knives."

"Yeah," X leaned down and kissed her forehead, "how've you been girl?"

She looked up at X and smiled, "Considering the end of the world hasn't come yet, I'm fine," then, she finally noticed Raven and nodded, "who's your girlfriend?"

Raven blinked slowly then introduced herself, "Raven."

The little girl tilted her head and shrugged, "Daniel, everyone else just calls me Danny."

"Danny!" somewhere within the house her name was called and Raven guessed it was the kitchen when a girl with a striking resemblance to X marched out wiping a very sharp kitchen knife on a cloth. Her grey eyes glared at Daniel, but widened when she realized she had visitors, in particular her half-brother. Her light brown hair pulled up high in a messy ponytail, standing about Raven's height and looking about the same age; she sneered and twisted the knife so the point was parallel to her elbow, "Robin … what the fuck do you think you're doing in my house?"

Raven blinked, That voice … it sounds familiar …

X rolled his eyes, "But the butter knife down Tessa before you hurt yourself."

Tessa gritted her teeth and flipped the knife to hold the blade ready to throw, "You got three seconds to get out of here before I rip you a new hole to breathe out of."

"Take your best shot; you're due for another embarrassment anyway."

Without a second thought Tessa sent the blade flying, X moved to the side, caught the handle of the knife and threw it back, but out of nowhere Tessa whipped out even more knives. She threw one to knock the knife out of the air and threw them all forcing Raven to fly back and stay clear as the knives embedded themselves in the far wall. X had rolled to safety and the little girl named Daniel was suddenly sitting at the base of the steps with a bored look on her otherwise cute face.

Tessa had already prepared a new barrage, but X staying crouched on the ground with his caliber out and aimed right in between her eyes, forcing Tessa to freeze and scowl, "You're bluffing."

He cocked the gun and smirked, "Try me."

"…"

"…"

Daniel sighed and stood up, "Daddy …" Raven looked up and wondered who she was calling because as far as she could tell the only other male in the room was X … and he looked up at Daniel, keeping the gun pointed at Tessa. Daniel frowned, "I think, maybe if you tell Tessa what it is you want then she'd let up … it's been 5 years since you last saw her, ya know."

Raven's brow shot up, Daddy?

X turned his attention back on Tessa and the defensive younger thief tilted her head, waiting for an explanation, he gave it, "You've been selling the Elixir haven't you."

Tessa snorted and threw her knife to the ground digging the blade into the wooden floor board, "Fuck you, I steal the shit, not sell it."

X put his gun down, "Convince me otherwise, because the last I checked you were in the trading biz."

"I was undercover you jackass!" she argued, "How many times do I have to say it for you to get it! I was in a jam and –"

"You snitched."

Obsidian challenged each other as Tessa marched up to X and poked his chest, "Don't push me, you're lucky Danny likes you so much otherwise I'd have your head boiling in one of the pots right now … shit!"

Suddenly remembering she was cooking she ran back into the kitchen and X followed her, Raven seeing no other choice followed after him, but looked up at the stairs and found Daniel coming down, then suddenly beside her. Her onyx eyes connected with her violet orbs and the child tilted her head, "You're not human … are you?"

"… Half-demon …" Raven answered honestly, "what are you?"

Daniel grinned, she winked and for a split second she looked exactly like X as she weaved her fingers into Raven's hand and held it, "I'm human of course …"

"Why did you call X – um, Robin – your Dad?"

She shrugged, "Because he's the one who took care of me before he sent me off to live with Tessa … he said that I'd have a better life with her …"

"And do you?"

"… Sort of … but I miss being with Robin … Tessa's cool and all … but … yeah …"

Raven knelt before Daniel and looked her in the eye seriously, "Daniel … do you know what Robin and Tessa do to earn their living?"

"Yep …" Daniel smirked and leaned to Raven as if to whisper a secret, "Robin has taught me how to pick-pocket a crowd and not get caught."

"…" Raven blinked then nodded and half-heartedly agreed with Daniel at how cool that was, but then shook her head then asked, "Daniel … do you know what Robin and Tessa are talking about?"

Daniel nodded, "The Elixir, Tessa did steal the formula a while back from this military station … I forget what the woman's name was who she stole it for …"

"Does a Marisa Van'Gareth ring a bell?"

"Not Van'Gareth … but Witchett, Marisa Witchett."

"… Do you remember if she said why she wanted it?"

"No, Tessa makes sure that her clients don't tell her why they need what she steals, she says the information is a liability."

Raven frowned, Smart … sighing she stood up and patted Daniel's head, "Thanks, that's all I needed to know."

"By the way … Raven," the sorceress looked down and Daniel smiled so cutely she looked irresistible, "… I'm sorry for tricking you a while back when Robin made you get rid of your clothes in that black duffle …"

Raven blinked and remembered that night with the little girl up on the stairs of that rundown apartment, and X's story about her being a four year old girl and her mother falling on hard times. He sorceress's eyes darkened as she glared into the kitchen and huffed, Sneaky bastard … "Not a problem Daniel …"

They both entered the kitchen, and when they did they found X up against the counter with another kitchen knife to his throat, Raven sweat-dropped, How many knives does this girl have? Tessa grabbed a fist full of his shirt and pressed the blade closer to his neck, "Robin … tell me you're joking."

"No, I'm not, you can ask her yourself." He gestured to Raven who stood behind his sister. Tessa let off Robin and turned to stare at Raven with wide eyed nervousness … she gulped and put the knife down on the counter then dusted off her hands.

Raven scrutinized her strange behavior and Tessa chuckled nervously, "Heh … how's your head?"

The sorceress tilted her head, then remembered what happened last night and blinked, "… You were the one that attacked me last night?"

Robin glared at his sister, "You went after her?"

"Not my fault … it was the other guys idea!" Tessa immediately defended, "I swear, he just called and wanted me to shake the witch up a bit then plant the envelop. Said something about hoping she was smart enough to get the message."

Raven frowned, "What message?"

Tessa sneered, "I don't make it a damn habit to ask my clients what goes one in their sick little – shit!"

Backing up, Tessa was experiencing first hand what happens when you cross the demoness, eyes glowing white, a hand up and glowing black with the same knife on X now floating and pointing at Tessa's face. The young thief gulped when Raven's voice pierced her heart and shook her soul, "For your own sake I hope you're not stringing me along … did you know who he was."

Tessa nodded, "Yeah, he was Robin's friend, Milo … and … this might just have been me, but he sounded guilty … you going to get off me now?"

Malchior sent the note …? He must know what Marisa's planning, he was trying to warn me. Raven looked up at Robin, "We have to go back to Jump … Marisa doesn't know I'm with you, she's probably sent Malchior on another assignment."

He nodded and rushed passed Tessa, taking Raven's hand he tugged her out of the kitchen, the knife having already fallen to the floor in a harmless clang. Daniel's face fell with it and before X could walk out the house she grabbed his shirt. Robin looked down at her crescent fallen face, "You'll be back … right?"

"… Danny … –"

"Yes … he will," Raven cut in and leaned down to move a strand of her light brown hair behind her ear, her grey eyes staring at her with a watery haze. Raven kissed the top of her head and whispered into her soft hair, "he'll be back … I promise …"

Daniel wrapped her arms around Raven's waist and held on tight, burring her face into her chest, Raven hugged her back and looked up at Tessa. The hard-knock girl's cold black eyes softened a bit and just for Raven to see she mouthed a silent: 'Thank you'. Raven smoothed back Daniel's long hair, then let her go and joined X's side, the both of them exiting the house and closing the door shut. Leaving Tessa to lean tiredly against the frame of the kitchen entrance, she huffed and growled, "If I had a nickel for every time that bastard brought trouble at my doorstep. Danny, dinners up."

"… Tessa …"

"Hmm?"

Daniel jogged up to Tessa's side, holding her hand she looked up at her and asked seriously "Would you be mad if I wanted to be with Robin instead?"

Tessa blinked slowly then sighed and shrugged, "If it's what you want … but Robin moves around a lot … and he's more mainstream than I am, making his situation far more dangerous than mines. It wouldn't be smart for him to take you in."

"Why?"

"Because than he'd have to put you directly in harms way … Danny, just try to understand, it's not that he doesn't care, he does, a lot more than you know."

"…" Daniel gave Tessa a long hard look, then smirked, "You know … for a sister that hates her brother so much, you just complimented him."

Tessa scoffed and shoved the little girl into the kitchen, "Oh please, don't you get me started on that, because that's a whole different story …"

((--))

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans

A/N: Sorry this took so long … blame the underpants gnomes … damn bastards kept me up all night.

L8er daez

I love you guys so much, your reviews are so awesome it makes me want to dance (dances on the side) I'll try to update a bit faster the next time … underpants gnomes or not, I will get this story finished with (busts out the shot gun) sneaky little bastards, where are ya …