Author's Note: Thanks for the great reviews! I'm flattered, really, but, I have a confession to make. For a while, the thrill of writing this thing was gone, like I couldn't bring myself to write anymore. But now, the plot is moving along and I found the fun again, all the plot twists and character cameos are not only fun to write about but also keeps you readers on your toes. Keep a watchful eye out for clues, anything has something to do with everything.

Remember my motto - "Always make the audience suffer as much as possible."

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans.

Chapter 18 - Of Opened Eyes and Broken Hearts

Raven sat in the large brown leather armchair in her living room; she glanced at the clock on the wall. It's been an hour. A fucking hour. She was still recovering from the shock, Garfield Logan was the infamous international art thief Kinyago. It had taken her the better part of the hour grasping that concept.

The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Gar told her he spoke Swahili, Kinyago was the Swahili word for joker and mask. The name gave away his personality; he was a fun-loving all around good guy. She thought back to their first 'friendly outing', he mentioned he was no saint, that he had his own "little secrets". Little my ass. She never saw him much after dark and when ever Kinyago was around, Gar was nowhere to be found and vice versa. It also explained how easily he had broken into the museum. Victor Stone was a good friend of his.

Though there was still one thing she couldn't understand. Why? Why had he asked to call Karen Beecher of all people and why did he come to her. He should have gone to a hospital. Well, I guess I can understand how awkward that might be, "Hi, I'm an international thief and I just got shot, can you help me?' But the question of his asking specifically for the people that wanted him behind bars was beyond her.

Just then, Karen emerged from the door way of Raven's room. After revealing Gar's face, she had immediately gone in search of the card that Karen handed her before they parted earlier that evening. She had simply called Karen up, said that 'Kinyago' had been shot, was at her house and was asking for her. Karen just said she'd be there as soon as possible and hung up. 10 minutes later her and Roy showed up at the door and carried Gar to Raven's bed, with her permission of course.

Raven sipped her tea and watched as Karen snapped the latex gloves off and ran her powdery hands through her messy hair.

She pointed to Raven's house phone, "May I?"

Raven nodded, "Sure." She listened as Karen dialled a number and spoke to a man, asking him to come over as soon as possible. Spotting Raven's confused face, Karen hung up the phone and walked over to her, crouching down in front of her and resting her hands on her knees.

"That was one of his friends," Raven looked away, "Sweetie, I know this is quite a shock. He's in there and he's fine, he's talking actually. He asked for you. I'd like to explain but he'd rather do it himself. Roy and I will have to go eventually, but they guy I called should be here soon. Try to get some sleep. Everything will be explained later." Karen stood and offered her hand to Raven and led her to the couch. Raven laid down but didn't close her eyes. She couldn't stop the debate going on inside her.

What seemed to 20 minutes later, the intercom rang. Whoever was supposed to come was here. Karen answered and buzzed him in. A minute later there was a pounding at that door. Karen went to answer it and Raven sat up to see who it was. The large frame of Victor Stone came in through the threshold, Raven's jaw nearly dropped.

"Where is he? God he's such an idiot. Fucking told him, fucking told him!" His voice was mixed his anger and concern.

"Relax Sparky; he's resting in the bedroom."

"Well, he wont be resting much longer," Victor glanced at Raven and smiled faintly, then he spotted the first aid kit in the kitchen counter and pointed at it, "You better keep that handy, he's gunna need it again when I'm done with him." With that, he barged into the bedroom.

The pain was fading now. God I was such a moron. How could I not see that coming? Gar laid still on Raven's bed, a large bandage around him stomach. Roy had injected him with morphine and his stomach was numbing. Roy sat in chair at the foot of the bed, nodding off. Just then Victor barged into the room. Oh shit, Gar thought. Victor shook Roy awake and asked him to wait outside.

With Roy gone, Gar watched as Victor paced at the foot of the bed before sitting down then getting up again.

Finally he came right up to Gar's side, "What the fuck were you thinking? I told you to watch yourself and you get yourself shot? God, you are such a moron!"

Gar smiled weakly, "Nice to see you too Cy."

Victor sighed, exasperated, and pulled the chair up beside the bed, "You're an idiot."

"I've been told."

"Yeah, well you're gunna hear it again. You're an idiot," He sighed and rubbed his eyes, "Shit Gar, you could've died." Gar turned away and looked out the double French doors of Raven's room, out the window beyond.

"But, you're fine now. And that's good," Victor playfully punched him on the cheek, "Good to see you safe grass stain."

Gar smiled, "You too Cy." They both sat in silence before Victor broke it.

"Why'd you come to her?" He asked, the question had been eating him since he heard where he was.

He shrugged, "Her place was the closest, I don't know."

"Well, what I know is you have royally screwed yourself. Now she knows it was you, she'll be furious. I told you, man, not to get involved with her."

Gar covered his eyes with his forearm, "I couldn't help it. Have you seen her? Have you talked to her, how could I not?" Gar sighed and turned to Victor, his green eyes gleaming, he wasn't lying, "She's amazing Cy. She's just… I can't stand to be away from her for 2 hours."

Victor sat back and crossed his arms, "So that's why you stalked her." Gar shook his head and closed his eyes. Victor stood and patted Gar on his bare shoulder; he was only in his shorts, covered up to the waist by Raven's blanket. His clothes were in a black garbage bag on the floor which Victor grabbed before standing by the door.

"I'm gunna send her in here," Gar nodded, eyes still closed, "I brought your clothes in, their outside. I'm gunna have to leave you two here, think you can handle that?" Gar peeked open one eye and raised his eyebrow making Victor laugh, "Okay, okay. Take it easy, she'll watch you. I'll talk to her." Victor walked out the door leaving a half sleeping Gar.

Raven was awoken by the sound of the toilet flushing. Jolting out of bed she rushed through the French doors into her bedroom only to find an empty bed. Victor spoke to her before he left; he left her in charge of Gar, giving an excuse about there being too much work at the museum that he had to do. Raven knew he just wanted to keep an eye on Jinx and Mikron, she didn't mind the few days off, though she'd have to baby-sit a stupid thief. She still didn't quite understand why he came to her.

Gar staggered in through the bathroom door. His green eyes, half open, weak and drained, one arm was clutched around his stomach the other was scratching behind his head. He looked up and spotted Raven, in nothing but her silk black thigh-length night gown and him in nothing but his shorts. They both turned away blushing until Gar broke the silence.

"Listen, Rae-"

"Don't call me Rae," her voice was small yet firm, he could tell she was seething with anger. She wouldn't look him in the eye.

"Raven, let me explain," he staggered towards her, using her dresser as a guide.

"What's there to explain, you lied to me. Used me…" He sighed and sat on the bed looking up at her, she leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, still not looking at him.

"I was a kid when I came to the US, stupid, naïve. These two guys took me under their wing and taught me to steal; this was before I got into acting, before the company. I lied, my parents died when I was younger. I was orphaned at 10," he took a deep breath, slowly due to the pain, "I managed to leave those guys, escaped, and bounced around a lot, but I never forgot how. They had me at it for so long, it comes second nature to me. But being raised by my parents, my conscience always got the better of me and I dropped it for a while. Then I started the company. After the fist couple of years, business got boring so I got back in the habit. Never stole money, just art. Never from anyone had who really needed it, and I always returned what I stole. I guess it was just a sort of hobby."

"Sick hobby for bored, rich boys?"

He scoffed weakly, "Yeah. Then a little over a year ago, Karen and Roy caught me and cut a deal. Since I've been a good little criminal, all my charges would be dropped if… If I helped them catch some one more dangerous. So I had to play dangerous elusive thief for a year until he contacted me. Contacted me for help on a job," he looked into her eyes, regret in his, "On the Cleopatra exhibit. Helping to fund it was their idea, dangle a big enough bait and they'll come a biting. Victor's in it too, he's actually FBI, the security man thing's just a cover he's kept over the years."

"So what, taking me out was just a part of your cover?' Ouch. That stung her more than she intended, since 4 hours ago, when she found out who he really was, she had thought about it. What she didn't expect was how much it would hurt when she actually said it out loud.

He tried to get up again but fell back on the bed again, sucking in air through his teeth and clenching his stomach with one arm. Raven quickly hurried over and helped his ease himself onto the pillows. When he was settled, he grabbed her hand and stared into her eyes. Eyes not of anger but of sadness, of despair and loneliness.

"No."

The rage found its way around her again, "Then what was I? A bet? A joke? Another notch on your belt? The fucking flavour of the month? You fucking rich boys are all the same." Her eyes started stinging as she tried to get out of his grasp.

"Raven," she struggled some more before the tears started to fall from her eyes. She shut them tight avoiding his relentless gaze.

"I trusted you Gar," her voice was shaky now, gone was the façade of anger, all that was left was the hurt, "And you lied to me. You lied to and all I was to you was some sick joke. The stupid curator who fell for guy who was robbing her!"

"Or maybe it was the stupid guy who fell for the curator he was robbing…" She stopped fidgeting and stared straight into his eyes. The jade orbs now crying out for her to understand, "I told myself I wouldn't. I wouldn't get mixed up with you, but after that lunch… after that lunch, I couldn't. I had to see you again, and again, and again, and again. And I'm sorry, I'm sorry I lied. I just… couldn't blow my cover. And I'm sorry I scared you at the museum, I just… the kiss there… I couldn't help myself… Raven, please understand." His grip loosened and she slipped away, retreating to the door, clutching her wrist with her other hand. She wasn't hurt, not her hand anyways.

"How can I even trust you now?" she whispered, shaking her head. Her voice barely audible, if it weren't for his acute sense of hearing he wouldn't have heard it. As soon as the words left her lips she turned out the door, leaving Gar alone with his thoughts. He shut his won eyes, fighting the tears. He hated seeing her this way; the pain in her eyes was overwhelming, and knowing he caused it hurt more than any bullet wound.

She fell for me. She said it herself; she fell for the guy who was robbing her. And I went and fell right back.

"He's out of the picture; everything should go smoothly from here on in." The raspy voice of the man could be heard from the tall back of his chair. He spoke into the phone, no mask on. Another voice could be heard on the other line, his thin lips formed a devious smile.

"Soon, very soon she shall be too," he said into the phone before hanging up. He swivelled around to face his desk and picked up a black cloth, a mask. His mask. Turning it over, he played with the thin fabric of the mask. It was all black save for the face, which was white, and bore a large red X.