And chapter 8, Confrontation part one :) I don't know who I feel worse for at the end of this, the characters or the readers. Hopefully this clears up the about face that Raven took part way through the story. The next portion of this scene should be up in a couple days. No later than Monday :)

Read and Review pls :)

Disclaimer: Still not mine

The tower was quiet, but Raven knew it wasn't empty and as soon as Robin got back she was going to have a word with him.

It wasn't that she didn't feel something for Speedy, she liked him, she really did and she had for a very long time. She just wasn't in control of the situation anymore, he was.

Since that kiss her emotions were jumping around in chaos, she hadn't quite expected feelings that strong and she sure as hell hadn't planned on that kiss. That kiss was causing all her problems; she had been willing to examine a possible relationship with the archer until it had happened.

Now she didn't know, with such a strong physical reaction between them she wasn't sure if she trusted herself or him. After all, she was a child of rape and she seldom saw the good side of love and sex. Even with Robin (nice guy that he was) and all his relationships, it seemed once the guys had rolled in the sheets they rolled right back out and were gone for good.

Speedy had always had enough class to at least choose women who were as commitment-phobic as he was, but Raven wanted commitment. She wasn't built for flings, she had to invest so much emotion into each relationship she had that to have some sort of fling was to throw away a part of herself.

"Which is why you have never dated," She murmured to herself as she moved around the kitchen making some toast and tea. "What an idiot I was to think I could manage anything past friendship."

Raven didn't need anyone to tell her that she was a novice when it came to relationships. Even after all this time her friendships remained an emotional mine field, she was better at being a friend now than she had been in the past, but she still tried to keep a shield over the emotions rather than allow them to move about freely. Anything more than friendship would more than likely kill her and anyone within the vicinity.

"What in the hell was I thinking?" She leaned her head against the cabinet and waited for her toast to pop up from the toaster. "That's just it Raven, you weren't thinking."

She felt him before she saw him and she nearly used her power to disappear before he entered the room, but her pride kept her in place. She wouldn't run, not from him. She could handle this, a little sarcasm, a touch of detachment and things would be back to normal.

"Good morning Raven," Speedy practically sang as he came into the kitchen, he tried not to notice the tenseness in the set of her shoulders or the way she didn't turn to look at him.

"It's after twelve," She replied darkly.

"Well, good afternoon then," He corrected himself and moved to rummage around in the fridge for something to eat. "You know, I don't think this fridge is safe. Food shouldn't be blue or this shade of green." He felt his stomach turn when something in one of the bowls actually moved, he quickly shut the door.

"You could always go out." Raven said, buttering her toast with slow practiced movements.

"Nah, too much trouble these days," He leaned against the counter and watched her. "Besides, it gets a little annoying when people keep asking if I am Robin." He grimaced.

"They rarely do that anymore." She answered pouring hot water over the tea bag in her cup and then carrying the mug and plate to the table to sit.

"Still, you'd think that the bow and color scheme would be enough to tip them off." He moved to sit across from her.

"What do you want Roy?" She took a sip of her tea and eyed him over the rim.

"Who said I wanted anything?" He sat back, a picture of innocence.

"You went to the trouble of arranging all this for nothing?" She cocked a brow at him and at his surprised look she allowed a smirk to show briefly. "I'm not as stupid as you seem to think I am."

"No," He swallowed at the expression on her face, 'well in for a penny in for a pound' he thought. "Of course you aren't."

They sat in silence for a few moments as he ordered his thoughts and Raven steeled her resolve while she sipped her tea.

"Why did you let me kiss you?" He finally asked, "We both know that you could have sent me to another dimension if you had wanted to."

She would have to answer this carefully or he would take it as encouragement and that was the last thing she wanted to do right now. "Curiosity,"

"Curiosity?" He raised his own brow at her. "You'll need to explain that a little better babe."

"First off don't call me Babe, I am not a pig." She paused at his snorting laugh and tried not to think about how attractive he was as he sat back comfortably in his chair; his body language relaxed in a way that was completely at odds with the intensity that rolled off him in waves. "Secondly, I don't see why I need to explain curiosity to you. I wondered what it would be like to be kissed; you kissed me…curiosity satisfied." She gave a small shrug as if she had put the entire incident away from her mind.

"You wondered what it would be like?" He looked at her in astonishment "You've never been kissed before?"

"Not by you," She shrugged again, her voice distantly cool. "You're supposed to be some sort of expert in that area, I figured you wouldn't mind satisfying my curiosity."

"So I was some sort of experiment?" He asked, leaning forward his eyes narrowing behind his mask. Raven winced inwardly, she should have been more careful of stabbing his ego. "Some sort of a…what if, scenario?"

"Exactly," She maintained her cold demeanor as her brain searched rapidly for a way to placate him and extricate herself from the hole she kept digging deeper. "I'm sorry if I made you upset, truly I am, I really didn't think you would mind." She rose from the table to take her dishes to the sink.

He stood and moved behind her while trying to figure out why he was so angry, "So did I satisfy your curiosity? Was the experiment a success or a failure?" He asked in carefully measured tones as she turned to face him, he took a step forward trapping her between the counter and his body. Not that that would stop her should she decide to run, but her pride kept her still. "What exactly was the conclusive decision on this experiment? Perhaps we should try it again?"

Following an impulse that was likely to get him killed he lowered his head and nipped gently at the sensitive curve of her neck. She jerked forward with a shudder that racked her body from head to toe. As surprised as he was pleased he took her shoulders firmly in his hands. "Not so cold now, are you?" He whispered, and crushed her mouth beneath his with a kiss full of practiced skill and devastating intensity.

Raven didn't have time to think, to brace herself against the onslaught. His mouth destroyed her. Her head spun, her knees weakened and her blood boiled. Never before in her life had she felt so battered by so many sensations at once. The hot, smooth mouth demanding and taking from hers, the hard confident hands moving over her body, the smell of soap and spice and oh Azar…the man.