"Never? What do you mean?"
Rachel watched Gar as he gave a sudden, very haunting howl, and hair started growing long in every part of his body. They were more like fur.
"Gar?! What's wrong?!" Rachel was terrified at what Gar was becoming.
Gar howled once more. He looked more like a werewolf now.
He then pounced and tried to claw Rachel, but she backed up in time.
"You beast!" she screamed and ran out the door as fast as she could, the werewolf chasing after her.
Rachel screamed fearfully for help, but in where a handful people were sitting in the cafe, no one was there when she exited the little office.
Rachel tried to buy her time by splashing hot coffee at the charging animal, but it didn't seem to affect him one bit. She rushed back out to the chilly rain, screaming and running for her life.
"Raven! Raven, wake up!"
Beast Boy was shaking Raven. Her eyes were closed, but her facial expression and loud crying was as if she had seen Trigon reincarnated. His enhanced hearing from his animal counterparts had enabled him to hear the screaming from a few rooms away and he immediately rushed to her aid, only to find her still lying in bed.
In a matter of minutes, the rest of the team had arrived at Raven's room too.
"Why is she screaming so loudly?" Starfire asked worriedly.
"I don't know!" Beast Boy responded. "If this is a nightmare, it's a really bad one!"
"Nightmare?" Robin repeated, things clicking in his head. "Where's the Dreamcatcher? Raven had it, right?"
The team realized what was happening. The Dreamcatcher somehow was related to Raven's situation at that moment. The four superheroes awake frantically searched Raven's room for it. They noticed some sort of haze emitting out of a chest under Raven's bed.
"We need to open it!" Cyborg said. "But what if it will unleash something worse? Who knows what Raven has in there?"
"It doesn't matter, Cy!" Beast Boy, working on opening the box. "We have to save her!"
"Gar, please, don't!" Rachel screamed. She had been cornered after running for miles. She was panting heavily, but she still had the strong urge to escape from the prowling werewolf in front of her, coming to consume her. "I know you don't want to do this! Please, Gar! I know you're in there!"
The werewolf growled, creeping closer and closer to the scared Rachel.
"I love you..."
"I LOVE YOU!"
Raven gasped as Beast Boy broke open the chest and snapped the Dreamcatcher into pieces.
"Raven!" Starfire flew to Raven's aid, comforting her whatever caused the Empath to burst into tears.
As the Dreamcatcher broke, larger amount of mist emitted from it, and Beast Boy could make out a silhouette of a woman.
"Phobia?" Raven called, shocked to see the mage hovering in front of the Teen Titans.
"You didn't think you'd completely forget the wicked witch of Azarath, did you?" Phobia sneered.
"You can't be here! Go back to where you belong!" Raven shouted angrily. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"
Phobia immediately countered with a spell of her own using her staff. Robin, Beast Boy, Cyborg and Starfire watched hopefully as both Raven and Phobia were in the air, fighting over dominance over the other's incantation. Raven's blue cloak and Phobia's night blue-black robe were being violent blown at the spells' compound impact.
"You're going for Earth's artifacts now, but I'll put you back to where you rightfully belong before you can do any more harm!" Raven yelled.
Phobia had not anticipated Raven to be as strong as she was at that moment. She struggled to keep up with Raven's power, but ultimately lost.
"I am merely a messenger, innocent Raven," Phobia said through gritted teeth. "For Mr. Wilson."
"What?" Raven gasped. "Who is Wilson?"
"Or that Markov girl, whatever! That masked man and blonde girl!"
"You mean Slade and Terra!"
"Whatever! Only one of the five of you can travel to Markovia and do what you plan to do, to see Terra."
"Why?"
"It's a deal. I'm just here to repeat the message to you! If anyone else goes, Slade swears to deal with it the worst way possible, so if I were you, I'd rather not risk it. Remember; only one. Leave the tower, leave everything behind, tomorrow morning!"
Phobia was fading away, but Raven was not going to let her escape. She yelled one more chant and cast another spell at Phobia, but she had already completely vanished.
An exhausted Raven dropped herself to the ground.
"Raven, it's okay," Beast Boy helped her up. "Everything is alright."
"Thanks, Beast Boy," Raven said, shaken. She still remembered the nightmare she had.
"So I guess that's our final clue," Cyborg deduced.
"Yeah," Raven was about to say something else, but Starfire pulled her back down to lie on her bed.
"Please, Raven, you require a rest you much deprived in this state," Starfire told her friend. Raven really wanted to get to the bottom the Terra case, but she had to agree with Starfire that she was well spent.
"One of us has to leave in just a few hours," Robin noted. "We have to make this decision thorough but quick."
"I'll go," Beast Boy instantly volunteered, and there seemed to be no disputes.
"It's yours, Beast Boy," Robin said. "Raven, you rest. Guys, let's help Beast Boy pack up-"
"Wait!"
Beast Boy and Raven had shouted simultaneously.
"I want to spend my last night with Raven," Beast Boy said. "Who knows how long this trip to Markovia will take?"
Robin understood Beast Boy's desires. If he were to leave Starfire for an unknown amount of time, he would definitely try to cherish the last few moments they would have before their separation.
Robin shook the thoughts away and asked Raven, "Is that what you wanted to, Raven?"
Raven gave a subtle nod. She was not the type that wants to cuddle with something much less someone at night, but this was Beast Boy. And he was to leave very soon, in under a few hours.
"Okay, I completely understand. Cyborg, Star and I will help you pack up, Beast Boy. You'll be ready at the Main Ops room," Robin acknowledged before closing the door, leaving Beast Boy and Raven alone.
"I had a nightmare of you, Beast Boy," Raven said almost apologetically.
"Forget about, Rae," Beast Boy interjected, not wanting to hear any of the bad. "I want us to spend these last few hours together, because when daylight comes, I'm gone."
Beast Boy kissed Raven's hand and laid down on her bed, behind her so he could hug her as they slept peacefully.
"As long as my soul is intertwined with yours, I will never leave you," Beast Boy whispered softly in Raven's ears before he joined her in their romantic slumber. He never wanted the moment to go away, it was the most precious moment ever.
I could stay awake just to hear you breathing
Watch you smile while you are sleeping
While you're far away and dreaming
I could spend my life in this sweet surrender
I could stay lost in this moment forever
Well, every moment spent with you
Is a moment I treasure
I don't wanna close my eyes
I don't wanna fall asleep
'Cause I'd miss you, baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing
'Cause even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream would never do
I'd still miss you, baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing
With the powers of Phobia not interfering with Raven's dreams anymore, she was feeling calmer. Her dreams became more natural, normal dreams. Tonight, she had another dream of her and Beast Boy. They were having the time of their lives, just loving each other.
She would realize when she wakes up by tomorrow that they wouldn't be able to have such times for awhile. Until she would emotionally hurt then, she was feeling the moment now.
Here I am staring at your perfection
In my arms, so beautiful
The sky is getting bright, the stars are burning out
Somebody slow it down
This is way too hard, 'cause I know
When the sun comes up, I will leave
This is my last glance that will soon be memory
And when the daylight comes I'll have to go
But tonight I'm gonna hold you so close
'Cause in the daylight we'll be on our own
But tonight I need to hold you so close
"I will never leave you, Raven," Beast Boy as he knelt down, about to propose to his girlfriend.
"That's so sweet of you, Garfield," Raven said, letting out a small smile.
"Will you do the honors of accepting to be my wife?"
Beast Boy subconsciously hugged Raven tighter at the sweet dream he was having. Their love was that strong. It was worth more than anything in the world, even more than the mission he was to leave for. But neither him nor her were willing to be unrealistic when Slade and Terra were concerned.
It was only tonight they could live a fantasy.
I don't wanna miss one smile
I don't wanna miss one kiss
Well, I just wanna be with you
Right here with you, just like this
I never wanted to stop
Because I don't wanna start all over, start all over,
I was afraid of the dark but now it's all that I want,
All that I want, all that I want
"Hey, Gar..."
"What's up, Rae?"
Raven could not help but look at his cute toothy grin.
"It's your turn to take care of the kids today while I go on the mission."
The Changeling chuckled at the Empath. "Of course, you think I'd forget?"
Raven let out a light snort and retorted, "It's just more pleasurable reminding you to..."
Raven gripped more tightly at the hand of Beast Boy she had been holding, as if she were holding on for dear life, but in a subtle, sincere, passionate manner.
"...I don't want to miss a thing."
Don't wanna close my eyes
Don't wanna fall asleep
'Cause I'd miss you, baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing
And when the daylight comes I'll have to go
But tonight I'm gonna hold you so close
'Cause in the daylight we'll be on our own
But tonight I need to hold you so close
They were so close that even if they were in their dreaming state, they could feel it. They delayed their worries because they did not want to miss the moment before daylight for the world. The moment was theirs to seize.
'Cause even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream would never do
'Cause in the daylight we'll be on our own
But tonight I need to hold you so close
At 7AM, Beast Boy woke up, making sure he did. And he left for the mission after giving a still tired and soundly sleeping Raven a goodbye kiss.
"You're my one," he whispered to her before leaving her room.
Oh-woah, oh-woah, oh-woah
Don't wanna close my eyes
Oh-woah, oh-woah, oh-woah
Don't wanna fall asleep, yeah
Oh-woah (yeah), oh-woah (yeah), oh-woah (yeah)
I don't wanna miss a thing
(Author's Note: I'm sorry for the long LONG wait! I hope I make up to y'all with this! =) This one is special - it's a mash-up with the awesome Aerosmith's I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing and the equally extraordinary Maroon 5! Please read, review, remember, re-anything that would make me more than happy to write this! I already love writing this! =D )
