Chapter 14: Christmas Visitors

Well, here we are! The final chapter! Before the epilogue, that is. Thanks to all of those who have come back to reread this and those who have reviewed!

"Has anyone seen my bow tie?" Beast Boy hollered from his room. It was six o'clock and the Titans were rushing to get ready.

"You left it in the kitchen!" came the response from Cyborg. Robin was calmly getting ready while Cyborg and Beast Boy were rushing around like chickens with their heads cut off. Robin rubbed his forehead, the piercing voices of his teammates grating on his patience.

"Keep it down, calm down, and get ready!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, stomping on the floor. The shouts died down and Robin sighed. They were all nervous about the big event, and even though he seemed to be keeping his cool, he was a jumble of nerves. It would be a real formal date for him and Raven, and he was very excited about it, but anxious.

They had easily fallen into a very comfortable intimacy when it was just the two of them. It was unprecedented, really, how easy it had been to find that. Robin had expected Raven to be much more resistant to the idea of them, but she had been on the same page as him since the two first realized the feelings they had for each other. It was like they'd always been in love and had always been meant to find each other. But around others, Raven was more uncomfortable. Robin didn't blame her, honestly. There had been the whole thing with Starfire, and he knew Raven was trying to be sensitive towards any lingering feelings the alien had. And really, for how easy it was for him and Raven to hit their stride, so to speak, there had to be a snag somewhere else; namely, their comfort level away from just the two of them.

Robin took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as he calmed his nerves. It would be fine. They would have a great time, there would be dancing, small talk, food, and drinks, and it would be fun. He tugged on his bowtie again and looked up at the clock. Fifteen minutes before the limo came, he noted. Taking another look at himself in the mirror, Robin was pleased to note his red shirt looked classy, not tacky. He had been skeptical about the clothing options when Cyborg suggested they go for colored shirts. He had wanted colored cummerbunds and bowties over white shirts, but the red was fun. And Christmassy, to boot. He quickly spiked his hair and put his mask on before heading down to the wait for the others in the living room. Surprisingly, Cyborg and Beast Boy had beat him there despite all their frantic yelling. Beast Boy tossed him the third Game Station controller and he sat down on the couch to join the melee.

Back in her room, Starfire was modeling her dress in the full-length mirror. The light fabric skimmed her curves as it flowed to the ground, almost like gossamer. She twirled, enjoying the floating feel of the fabric against her skin. She was excited to just do the hanging out with all of her friends tonight, dancing and eating the tiny sandwiches Beast Boy had promised would be present. It would be glorious. Starfire's hair was partially pulled up in a knot at the back of her head, showing off the beautiful detail of the front of her dress and tickling the bare skin of her back. She giggled to herself in the mirror as she brushed her makeup on. Oh yes, this night would be glorious indeed!

Raven carefully traced her amethyst eyes with black liner and mascara. Her makeup was simple, like her dress, serving to enhance rather than change her features. She put a pair of bright silver earrings in that fell almost to her chin. She turned her head left and right, inspecting her face and watching the earrings swing with her loose hair.

"Well, Raven, this is as good as it's gonna get," she muttered. Slipping on a pair of black heels, she headed to the hallway.

Starfire stepped onto the elevator, pleased to see Raven already on it.

"Hello, friend! You look beautiful! Are you excited for the festivities?" Starfire inquired as she stood next to her friend. Raven nodded.

"I am, actually," she said. "Starfire?" She turned towards the taller girl.

"Yes?"

"Are you sure you're going to be okay with Robin and I? I mean, there's usually lots of dancing at these, and I just don't want you to be uncomfortable, and," Raven said, stumbling a bit over what she wanted to say. This was like a real, formal date for her and Robin, and while she knew she wasn't the most comfortable of people in public, she wanted to have fun, and she wanted him to be part of that. But Starfire was her friend, and while they had spoken earlier about the whole jealousy ordeal, she wanted to make sure Star was okay.

"Oh goodness, friend Raven, of course!" Starfire exclaimed. "I only want my friends' happiness. And friend Robin is much too short." Raven burst out laughing at Starfire's matter-of-fact delivery, and a wide smile spread across Starfire's face.

"See, Raven? You never used to laugh. I do love it."

"Me too, Star." Starfire beamed and gave Raven a bone crushing hug, releasing her before the need for oxygen became too much. She was getting much better at that.

The elevator door dinged and Starfire zoomed ahead of Raven into the room, spinning to show her dress off to the applauding boys. When Raven appeared in the door behind her, they clapped and whistled for her, too. She gave a small curtsy as Starfire bowed violently.

"Very nice!" Cyborg cheered. Starfire flew forward to join him and Beast Boy while Robin walked up to Raven, still in the doorway.

"You look amazing, Rae," he said to her, dropping a small kiss on her lips and smiling when she made no move to break contact with him.

"Thanks," she said, smiling shyly. "You don't scrub up too badly yourself, Bird Boy." She settled her arms around his waist. There was something about him in a tux and her in a gown that made everything suddenly so real. They weren't just two kids with a crush. This was real.

"Limo!" Beast Boy's shrill voice cut through the moment the two birds were having as Cyborg's arm rang.

"Time to party, Titans!" Robin exclaimed, offering Raven his arm. She took it and the five left the tower and quickly flew over to the mainland to greet the limo.

...

"Oh, it is so elaborate!" Starfire said in awe as she climbed into the limo. Beast Boy and Cyborg whistled their surprise, but the other two seemed unfazed. Robin was used to this sort of thing from his time with Batman, and Raven… well, she was Raven.

There was a leather seat that curved around the back and extended along the side without the door. A mini bar and TV equipped with a DVD player rested on the other side. Starfire, Cyborg, and Beast Boy slid to the long seat while Robin and Raven settled down on the curved part of the seat at the back.

"You look like you're used to stuff like this," Raven commented, observing Robin as he stretched his legs out. He laughed.

"Yep. Bruce only travels in style. You excited for the party?" Robin asked.

"A little nervous. What exactly do we DO there?" Raven turned to face Robin with a quizzical look on her face.

"Dance, eat odd little sandwiches, talk to the Mayor, and generally be upstanding citizens while not getting drunk." Robin ticked off the items on his fingers, Raven chuckling slightly at the last one. The others had already cracked open the mini bar.

"Can we be tipsy citizens?" Raven said cheekily.

"The only thing they'll serve is wine and champagne, anyways," Robin said in feigned thoughtfulness. Raven laughed again and levitated a pair of mini-wine bottles over to them as Beast Boy began a round of Would You Rather to pass the time.

The limo pulled up into a long gravel pathway, slowing down in its ascent to the front steps of the mansion. It stopped and the five friends stepped out, adjusting bowties and hemlines as the mayor rushed forward to personally greet them.

"So good to see you! Please, come in! I have been expecting you." The mayor shook all their hands and led them inside. "You'll find the party through these doors," he said, gesturing to a large set of double doors. They thanked him and pushed through into the large ballroom. Many people were already dancing to the steady beat of a waltz while others milled around drinking and chatting.

"Let's find a table first, guys," Robin said to the others. They nodded and followed him to a round table on the far side of the room.

"Let's boogie!" Beast Boy exclaimed, running onto the dance floor as disco music began to play. Starfire clapped her hands gleefully and pulled Cyborg with her to join Beast Boy. Robin watched them happily, and Raven watched Robin.

"Aren't you going to ask me to dance?" she said with a smirk.

Robin held up a finger, his ear cocked towards the music. Raven raised an eyebrow. The catchy disco beat gave way to a slower song, and Robin made an 'a-ha' sound and stood up, taking Raven's hand.

"May I have this dance?" he asked, bowing deeply.

"I suppose so," she responded lightly. His head shot up and he gave her a look.

"You're supposed to be enthusiastic," he said as she stood and they slowly walked to the dance floor.

"And why's that? I thought this was a refined shindig."

"Because your very hot boyfriend just asked you to go dance with him at the Mayor's ball, that's why," Robin said, mirroring her nonchalant tone. Raven stifled a laugh.

"My very hot boyfriend, you say?" she said, looking at him closely. "I guess that's an accurate statement." He spun her around once and pulled her close, eyes locked onto hers.

"Bet your ass it is, babe," he grinned. That time, Raven allowed the laugh to escape her lips, and he spun her again, more gently this time. Raven settled a hand on his shoulder as one of his went to her waist, the other closed around her other hand. They swayed slowly to the beat of the music, Robin occasionally spinning Raven around him. He loved the way her hair and earrings swept away from her neck, letting her perfume float up to his nose.

"You are so beautiful," he murmured as he pulled her in after another spin. Raven smiled as he felt his nose nuzzle her neck, his head dipped low.

"I love you, Robin," she responded softly, causing Robin to smile widely. "You make me so happy." Their bodies were pressed closely together, Robin's arm almost entirely encircling Raven's waist. Her right arm was hooked up around his shoulder, her left hand clasped in Robin's and held tightly between their bodies. Her forehead rested against his shoulder, his head leaning against the side of hers. Their spinning had ceased, the two preferring to just turn in circles in their own little piece of the dance floor.

…

The limo ride home was rather uneventful. Beast Boy and Starfire were snoring on the seat while Cyborg watched the television. Raven had fallen asleep on Robin's shoulder. When they reached the shore, Robin gently woke Raven up while Cyborg gave Beast Boy a wet willy and yelled in Starfire's ear.

"Can we please take a boat home? I don't wanna fly," Beast Boy whined. Raven rolled her eyes, but secretly agreed with him. It was late.

"Want to go check with the Coast Guard, Cyborg?" Robin asked, gesturing down the beach.

"Good idea. We're all pretty tired, after all," Cyborg responded, turning to walk down to the watchtower.

"Everyone enjoy themselves?" Robin asked, stretching his arms above his head and admiring the moonlit bay.

"Yes friend Robin! It was most enjoyable. I had much fun dancing the disco with friend Beast Boy!" Starfire yawned out.

"Yeah, it was sweet. And the food! Dude, I've never had such good tofu," Beast Boy said dreamily, drooling a bit.

"It was wonderful," Raven said, smiling as Robin took her hand. It had been much easier to forget about the crowd than she thought, and she could feel the happiness radiating off of Robin every time she did something he thought was unexpected. She smiled as she remembered his shock and delight when she kissed him under the mistletoe on their way out of the party.

"I agree," Robin said, winking at Raven. "What'd they say, Cy?" Robin called out to Cyborg's approaching form. He held two thumbs up and motioned for them to follow him back down the beach. They complied and met him by a small dock with a boat next to the watchtower. A smiling guard was waiting for them.

"Hop in! We'll have you home in a jiffy," the guard said cheerfully. They climbed in and the boat roared off towards the tower. When they got there, the guard paused for a second, considering something. Raven noticed his hesitation.

"Was there something else?" she asked him gently, feeling the nervous energy radiating from him. He smiled sheepishly.

"Well, I was wondering if maybe I could get your autograph for my daughter for Christmas. She loves all of you so much, Raven especially," the guard stammered. "Purple is her favorite color." Raven felt a blush creep across her face, but she smiled and the others gathered around.

"We'd love to!" Robin said. The guard brightened and went over to the boat's glove compartment, pulling out a big picture of all of the Titans standing with a small girl. She had dark hair pulled into braided pigtails and smiled brightly, one tooth missing.

"It's from the charity event last Fourth of July," he explained. Cyborg took the sharpie from him and quickly signed his name across his photo counterpart. The others did the same, but when Beast Boy passed the pen to Raven, she paused.

"What's her name?"

"Emmie," the guard said. Raven nodded and wrote a quick note to the girl, followed by her signature. The guard lit up like a Christmas tree and couldn't stop saying thank you to the Titans as they bid him goodnight.

"Merry Christmas!" Starfire called as he waved from the retreating boat. The five Titans trudged up to the front door, both the girls now holding their heels rather than wearing them. When they got to the living room, Cyborg flipped the light switch on and the Titans were surprised to see their living room decorated with all sorts of Christmas cheer. The stockings were hung, a huge Christmas tree was in place, there were garlands and holly and lights everywhere, presents under the tree, and to top it off, Bumblebee, Speedy, and Aqualad were standing in the middle of the room wearing Santa hats.

"Merry Christmas!" they shouted in unison when the Titans entered the room.

"Wow! Y'all really outdid yourselves!" Cyborg exclaimed, walking forward to greet them.

"Sweet!" Beast Boy laughed, taking a proffered Santa hat from Speedy and giving Aqualad a high-five. Speedy stepped forward to take Starfire's hand, bowing as she giggled and he kissed her hand.

"You look beautiful, Starfire," he said, grinning.

"Thank you, friend! This is so glorious!"

"Where's Robin and Raven?" Aqualad asked. Cyborg stuck a thumb over his shoulder, pointing to where the two were talking quietly as they took the scene in.

"Look who's standing under the mistletoe!" Bumblebee sang.

"Who?" Starfire chirped. Bumblebee directed everyone's attention towards the door where Robin and Raven were now looking up at the tiny plant above them.

"C'mon, y'all, let's see a kiss," Bumblebee demanded, rubbing her hands together. Robin smiled down at Raven and she smirked up at him. When their lips met, Bumblebee awed.

"You obviously don't know they've been dating for a few days and are madly in love with each other," Cyborg commented off-handedly. Bumblebee's mouth dropped.

"Those two?" she said. "Mr. Obsessive and Ice Queen?"

"Uh huh," Cyborg said.

"Well," she started, "I guess it makes sense. And it's still cute." Cyborg laughed at her pouting face and she punched his arm. They looked back to the mistletoe.

"They're still kissing? Geez, you were right," Bumblebee muttered.

"It's been a weird couple of days," Cyborg said quietly.

"What do you mean?" she responded.

"It started with Slade," Cyborg began as he led Bumblebee over to the couch to explain the past week's events.

"So I guess you really like being caught under the mistletoe," Raven said mischievously after she and Robin finally parted.

"Only because it's with you," he said, smirking. "Shall we join the others?" The two walked over to where everyone minus Cyborg and Bumblebee were standing.

"Where are small friends Mas y Menos?" Starfire questioned.

"In Guatemala with their families," Aqualad answered.

"And you're not in Atlantis because?" Beast Boy asked.

"I wanted to come with the others to surprise you," Aqualad shrugged. "Plus, we don't celebrate Christmas Eve like you do. I'm swimming down tomorrow for Christmas dinner."

"Hey, guys," Robin greeted, shaking hands with Speedy and Aqualad. Raven smiled at the two of them.

"It was really nice of you guys to set all this up for us," Raven commented.

"Yeah. We were just going to set presents out and open them in the morning," Beast Boy said.

"Well, we are the tower with the disco ball," Speedy said, grinning. "We figured it was up to us to spice up Titans West with a little Christmas party."

"A party!" Starfire cheered. "I am not tired anymore! Oh please may we party, friend Robin?"

"Give me some caffeine and we're good to go," Robin laughed. Beast Boy punched the air in excitement.

"I am so changing out of this tux now!" Beast Boy said, sprinting out of the room.

"Don't start without us!" Starfire said as she, too, flew out of the room to change, the others following.

They returned a few minutes later in more comfortable clothes, rejuvenated by the prospect of a party and the visit of their friends.

"Party time! Hit it, Cy!" Beast Boy yelled. Cyborg pushed a button on his arm and a disco ball came down from the ceiling.

"Hey! I thought I made sure you didn't put that in!" Robin exclaimed.

"We can't let Titans East have all the fun," Cyborg said as he grinned slyly. Robin made a mental note to give Cyborg dish duty for the next decade or so, but decided to enjoy himself for the moment. Speedy popped a CD into the player and the dancing started. All the teens were laughing and having fun with Speedy's song selection. They bounced around the couches and floor, singing along to the mix of 90's jams and pop hits. After a few more songs played, Speedy got a devilish grin on his face and he dove back into the pile of discs. Quickly changing the CD, he stood as soft piano and guitar notes started playing over the speakers. Speedy walked up to Starfire and bowed deeply for the second time that night.

"May I have this dance?" he asked. Starfire giggled and took his hand.

"They look like they're having fun," Raven said, smiling at Starfire's happiness.

"I think we're missing out," Robin mused. He grabbed Raven around the waist and pulled her close to him.

"You never cease to amaze me, do you, Boy Wonder?" Raven whispered in a teasing voice.

"Uh, Bee? Would you, um, will you please," Cyborg stuttered, his face turning a light shade of red. Bumblebee rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand, pulling him to the makeshift dance floor.

"Yes," she said shortly. He smiled and they started to dance.

Beast Boy and Aqualad surveyed the three couples with annoyance.

"So how are the chicks in Atlantis?" Beast Boy began. The two started chatting, ignoring their lack of dance partners.

A few hours passed, and the pink sunrise was beginning to peek over the horizon. Cyborg turned down the music and cleared his throat, interrupting the various conversations around the room. Dancing had become too tiring sometime around 3 AM and the friends had opted for party games like Would You Rather instead.

"Ahem, I think it's time we open presents," he said in a business-like tone. Beast Boy immediately dove into the pile he'd been eying all night, followed shortly by Starfire and Cyborg. Speedy and Bumblebee laughed and ran over to join them with the others close behind.

Beast Boy sat amid a pile of presents deeply immersed in his new handheld game. Starfire was experimenting with her makeup kit, and Cyborg was tapping on his arm, imagining what he would do with the new car parts he had received. Aqualad and Speedy were playing Speedy's new electronic battleship game while Bumblebee read her new novel. Raven surveyed the scene and felt an extreme sense of calm wash over her.

'I guess Slade was right,' she thought to herself. 'I really do have a connection with all of them. They are my family.' Here were the people that completed her in a way nothing else ever could. Books and a dark room were no substitute for the peace she currently felt.

"Do you want your present from me, Raven?" Robin spoke. They were sitting next to each other on the floor, leaning against the couch.

"Sure. I already gave you my gift." Raven turned to look at him, drawing one knee to her chest.

"And I couldn't have loved anything more. How'd you know?" Robin asked, fishing around the bag next to him for something.

"Well, you go through punching bags pretty fast, so I figured the Kevlar-reinforced bag would last longer. And I think we'll be going to movies a lot more from now on," she joked, referring to the movie pass she had given him.

"You got that right," he said, smiling. "Here." Robin handed her a small rectangular box with a red ribbon around it. She took it from him and turned it over slowly in her hands, inspecting it. She slid the ribbon off the box and opened it, slowly pulling out a beautiful necklace. The silver chain glittered in the light and a charm of two silver birds dangled off it. Raven turned the charm over to see two simple script 'R's on the back, slightly overlapping.

"It's beautiful, Robin," Raven breathed, looking to Robin with shining eyes.

"It's not too simple?" he asked tentatively. Raven chuckled and shook her head.

"This is me we're talking about," she said. "I love it." She leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to his lips, not pulling back when his hand found the back of her head to deepen the kiss.

Raven broke apart from Robin to put the necklace on, enjoying the feel of the delicate silver against her skin. Robin smiled at his gift around her neck, one hand stroking Raven's arm and the other resting on her knee.

"I really do love you," he said softly.

"I know," she said, smiling back at him. "I can feel it."

"I think I'm hungry! Anyone else want food?" Bumblebee suddenly said, standing. She glanced meaningfully at the others in the room.

"Food…" Beast Boy and Cyborg walked into the kitchen like zombies. The others followed, but Bumblebee hung back a bit.

"I forgot to give you my present. Y'all are going to have to share," she laughed, leaning over from the back of the couch to dangle a branch of mistletoe above their heads. She dropped it on Robin's head and ran into the kitchen giggling.

"I guess that brings me to part two of my gift," Robin said. He slowly pulled off his mask, blinking his eyes a few times before locking eyes with Raven. He heard her take a sharp intake of breath as she studied his icy blue irises.

"Well, then," she murmured, taking his face in her hands and kissing him fiercely. He returned the passion, pulling her as close as possible, his head swimming with joy as he felt her against him.

It was the best Christmas ever.

Holy kneeballs that was the longest chapter yet. So many words! And so this story comes to a close. I'll try to do the epilogue tomorrow! When I wrote this in 2005, there was a small purple button down in the corner for reviews, but clearly that's gone, so instead of referencing something that will show how old I am in a few years when it's changed, I'll just say this: please review! It means so much! Thank you thank you thank you to those that have reviewed in the past week that I've been rewriting this.

Until the epilogue! -Ash