A/N: I know I haven't been updating frequently, but, as I said before, lacrosse season has started and if I have hopes of making Varsity this year (which is my freshman year), I have to work hard. I know I'm close, because I began as playing on the freshman team, then I moved up to JV, and today I started the JV game so its just about time that I make Varisty. Yippee! Anyways, I hope you like this chapter.

Disclaimer: Neither Teen Titans nor the Fray is of my creation. Only this story plot (which, I promise, will get better) is mine.

TT

Heaven Forbid

Raven groaned and rolled over. There was way too much light coming in from her bedroom window. It was way too late for her to be just waking up.

Wait a minute.

Her bedroom window faced the west. The sun rises in the east. So, theoretically, she shouldn't be seeing this much sunlight. Raven cautiously reached her hand out and felt the naked (save for boxers, thank Azar) body next to her, and she bolted awake. Her torso shot up and she looked aorund, seeing the greens and blues that decorated HIS bedroom. HIS bedroom; not HERS. HIS.

Oh, Raven was in deep shit.

She fell back down and rested her head in the pillow. And last night came back to her. And, oh, how amazing it had been, but how deep in trouble she was. She turned her head to see the alarm clock, which read 12:16.

SHIT!

Oh, not good. Training started at one. Raven needed to get to the tower, and she needed to get to the tower now! She jumped up and searched for her clothes, pulling on her jeans and desperately searching for her top. After about five minutes of unsuccessful searching, she hastily grabbed Keith's white button-up from the previous night, buttoned up three buttons, and grabbed all of her things.

"Mm...Rachel?" his voice came, tired yet exuberant.

Raven froze. "Keith?"

She turned and saw him sitting up, looking at her strangely. "Were you going to leave without saying goodbye?" he pouted.

"Never," she responded, walking over to kiss his forehead tenderly. "But I'm going to be in such deep shit if I don't get home right now. Don't ask why, but I just need to get home." Raven gathered her stuff again and looked back to smile genuinely at him. "Thanks for everything."

"How will I reach you?" he asked.

Raven froze again, on her way out the door. "I-I don't know." In all truth, she never thought she'd be in this situation. The only line of communication she had that was totally private was her communicator. They wouldn't know if Keith called but she just couldn't give out the number. And she couldn't have him call the tower. And she couldn't give out her e-mail either.

Maybe a double-life would require a new cell-phone. I mean, it's not like the Titans would know about it. "Look, I'll be at the club tonight. I'll find you, ok?" she asked.

"Ok," he replied, smiling shakily. Seeing this, Raven dropped her stuff on his bed and cantered over, kissing his smack on the lips, leaving him lingering with her taste. "I'll see you tonight?"

"That you will," she replied, gathering her stuff and walking out of his bedroom, down the hallway, and out the door. She walked into an alleyway, stuffed her things into a portal to her room, and then followed it. She landed on the floor of her room, on her rear, looking up at Robin and Starfire.

"Uh...I can explain," Raven started nervously, tugging at the half-buttoned men's shirt hanging about her torso.

"This better be pretty damn good," Robin growled, his arms crossed over his chest, which was devoid of his spandex. Put in its place was a plain grey cotton shirt, part of his training outfit.

After a few minutes of pathetic sputtering, Raven sighed in defeat. "I lied. I can't explain."

Robin raised a single eyebrow and Starfire stood by his side, biting her lip. "Is it not obvious?" she started almost at once, glaring at Raven, her signal to follow along. "Raven left early this morning to take flowers to take flowers to the grave of young...Garfield." Starfire had to pause. She still got choked up when talking about it. "That is why the flowers normally by her bedside are gone."

Raven looked to her bed stand. They were there yesterday. Starfire turned, being sure to face her back to Raven while inspecting Robin, and Raven could see the flowers in her hands.

I LOVE YOU, STAR!

"Is that true?" Robin asked, an eyebrow cocked and not believing the story one little bit. Raven nodded feebly. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't want to tell anyone," was her meager response.

Robin nodded to himself. In all truth he didn't believe anything that either of them said, but this wasn't the time to go prying into Raven's life. He'd just have to keep a close eye on her for the next few days. "Um...ok then. Training's in twenty minutes. You better get ready." Robin pivoted and started out, and the door shut softly. Starfire watched Raven intently until Raven decided to speak up.

"I know that looked bad, but I swear I didn't do anything wrong." Except do a guy you barely know.

"If you do not wish to tell me, I shall not press the matter," Starfire stated in her tone that clearly said 'I understand'.

"I promise I'll tell you," Raven started before she had a chance to walk out. "Some day. It's just, with everything that's happened to me, I can't right now. You wouldn't accept it."

Starfire nodded, and then swept silently from the room, without another word. Raven sighed in relief, clamored up, and fell onto her bed. It would be nice to be able to sleep in her own bed for once, because as ashamed as she was, she often spent nights in Beast Boy's room.

But, the fates would have none of it at the moment, for the alarm rang soundly throughout the tower.

TT

It was reported as Red X. Surprise, surprise. Did Raven really expect anyone else?

Raven flew next to Starfire while Cyborg was down below in the T-Car and Robin rode on his motorcycle. Raven felt empty without the incessant squawk of the forest green hawk behind her. Things would never be the same.

Raven sighed and continued her flight, as the pack took a sharp left into the parking lot of a jewelry store in downtown Jump City. Keith's apartment was just a block away, Raven knew, from their walk the previous night.

People were running from the building, cowering behind cars, and protecting their children or loved ones. There was a sudden blast in an alleyway near the jewelry store, and the four Titans all winced. "Raven, you go check the blast out, we'll handle Red X!" Robin ordered her. Raven sighed. Of course she would be taking that job.

"I'm on it," she replied, flying up and taking a sharp turn into a dark alleyway. "Great, send Raven into the dark alleyway where she can get raped," she mumbled under her breath, her shoes padding softly as she landed on the ground. Raven inspected the cement where there was a black scorch mark. She stood above it, looking down, her brow furrowed in confusion. What in the world-?

And she was attacked by the side, just as another BLAST sounded, and she landed against a wall, her back in great pain, and another form upon her. She opened her eyes to see the masked face of Red X in front of her. She heard his heavy panting and his mask-eyes were wide.

"GET DOWN!" He screamed, and he pulled her to the ground, leaving her wrist in pain with the immense force. Another blast sounded and she heard a bullet whizz by just above them. Red X grabbed her wrist and pulled her up with a great strength, to see a completely black-covered figure in front of them. And his gun was pointed right at them. He pulled the trigger but nothing happened, and it was revealed he was out of bullets.

"Stand back!" Red X ordered, his forearm pushing her back. Raven stood and watched as he ran forward and jump-kicked him right in the face, causing him to stumble but retaliate faster. He roundhouse kicked, punched, then jumped kicked and brought Red X to the ground. He tried to get up, but his body fell back down and the black figure was about to give one more blow (to, no doubt, knock him out), but Raven would have none of it.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" She screamed. "AZARATH METRION ZINTHOS!"

She sent a ferocious black wave of energy his way but he was able to dissolve it in an inhumanly way. He merely stuck out his hands and the magic refracted around him and disappeared. Raven's eyes widened as he started forward and began punching and kicking mercilessly, as she tried her best to keep up by shooting wave after wave of energy at him. Soon, she felt herself losing steam and he threw her against the brick wall of the alleyway, and she slumped to the ground.

He pulled her up by her cloak and made sure she stood before he brought long, sharp nails down across her face and made her face sting and soon go numb. She clapped her hand to her face and stumbled back against the wall, and then in a tizzy fell forward. Raven tried to break her fall but her wrist landed in an awkward position and she heard a sickening snap. Her face was completely numb.

There was poison in his nails.

Raven cried in terrible pain and her blurry vision half-focused on the black and red lump near her. Red X was still out, and by the way this black figure was stalking towards her he had plans to take her out as well. He took her by the ankle and she pleaded for mercy, but he swung her against the adjacent brick wall and she knew she would be fading soon. The blackness began to cloud her vision, and she could feel warm, sticky liquid trickling down her scalp.

He lifted up his leg and his foot was coming straight for her face, and she knew this was it. But suddenly a black and red figure attacked him from the side and the two fell to the ground. Red X was straddling the figure's waist, delivering punch after punch, until he was an inch within consciousness.

Red X stood and brushed himself off, looking to Raven. She could feel herself fading fast. He hurried towards her and kneeled down, his hand sliding behind her neck, making her neck stickier than it was before. She blinked stupidly and his form became hazy. He brushed back locks of her hair, and the last thing she heard was,

"Hold on tight, wait for tomorrow, you'll be alright."

TT