Finally, I was able to work through my writer's block! So, therefore, I can continue my story. This is the second-to-last chapter. Special thanks to all of my reviewers. I love you guys. :D

Disclaimer: If you really think that I own Teen Titans, go see a therapist and talk out your mental problems. But, I do own this lovely little fan fiction.

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Chapter 15:

It Might Have Taken a Coma

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Beast Boy blinked.

After the split-second of darkness, he opened his eyes to Raven's room. He was startled once again by the sudden change in scenery, and he fell backwards, landing on the ground with a large thud. Leave it to Beast Boy to make an entrance such as this. After standing back up, he realized that Arella was still there, and that time was still frozen.

Beast Boy found himself, once again, confused. This whole situation was making him look even more like an idiot and a moron than usual. And that was saying something. He scratched his head and addressed the woman.

"I… I thought that you'd unfreeze time before I lost all of my courage and puked." He said sheepishly, adding an awkward laugh at the end. He was on a roll before, but now that he could see Raven, he felt like a nervous wreck. She hadn't changed position since he had last left here. She was still on her bed, slightly turned. Still frozen. Still beautiful.

Arella let a small chuckle escape her mouth. "No wonder my daughter finds you funny."

Beast Boy's face immediately lit up."I KNEW SHE THOUGH I WAS FUNNY!" he jumped up and down and did a small dance resembling one he might do if he beat Cyborg in a video game. Arella sighed impatiently. She wasn't finished with him just yet. She cleared her throat, causing the shifter to stop. He blushed out of pure embarrassment.

"Now, listen carefully Garfield. When I allow time to continue, you must tell Raven what you have told me. You need to tell her that it is no longer dangerous for her to act on her emotions. And most importantly, you must tell her how you feel."

Beast Boy tried as hard as he could to ignore the sick feeling of nervousness that was now building up in his stomach. The last time he had been this nervous over a girl was when he was asking…

'You didn't love her.' His mind reminded him. 'She was the "sure thing" at the time. But this, this is the real deal.'

Beast Boy listened to his brain. He, it, was right. Terra had just been… there. It had been a typical school-boy crush. But the way he felt towards Raven, that had to be love. Anyone else would've run from her as soon as they learned about her past. Anyone else would've given up after the sarcastic remarks. But something about her made Beast Boy continue to try to pry her out of her shell. To get through the barrier.

He loved Raven. And that was enough to keep him going.

Beast Boy looked down at the floor and then back at Arella. "I know what to do. Thank you for all of your help. I've learned a lot. But, now it's my turn to be the teacher. It's my job to teach Raven what it feels like to love, and that somebody loves her. It's my job to tell her that that she can feel, and that her powers won't be dangerous and out of control when she does. It's my job to love her. And Arella, I do. It might have taken a coma for me to realize it. But, man, do I realize it now!"

Beast Boy paused and found a spot on the floor to look at while he figured out what to say next. But, his eyes didn't fall to any spot. It was stained with Raven's blood from the night Malchior came. When Beast Boy had fixed her room, he had tried everything. But the blood wouldn't come out. Just looking at the stain made him shiver.

"Raven almost died. And she would've… gone… without her knowing how I really felt about her. How I still feel." He said, not moving his eyes from the red stain. His stomach felt even sicker from thinking about that terrible night.

Arella placed a hand on his shoulder. That statement had sealed the deal. "Garfield, Raven is alive and well. And you will be able to tell her how you feel. As I have said before, the feeling is mutual. All you need to do is explain to her that she can now act upon it without fear of losing control."

Beast Boy smiled. "Thanks for the pep talk, coach. But I think I'm ready to head out onto the field." Hey. Raven may not always find his corny jokes funny, but her mother might.

Arella put her arms around the changeling in a loose hug. Beast Boy couldn't complain.

"Thank you. Thank you for loving my daughter." Arella said, a tear falling from her eye and onto Beast Boy's uniform. She released him and gave him a sincere smile.

Beast Boy smiled in return. "She deserved the love. She deserves the best." Those words had come out of his mouth before.

Arella slowly took one step backwards. And another. And another. She had backed away about six feet before giving him one final nod. And with that, she vanished with another blinding white flash. And during that white flash, Beast Boy could feel the floor under him moving. When the flash subsided, he was standing in the spot he had been in before Arella had come.

And right on cue, Raven began to show signs of movement. The clock next to her bedside began to tick again. Time had continued.

Which meant one thing.

Beast Boy still had a question to answer.

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A small trickle of sweat began to fall from Beast Boy's forehead. 'What are you so worried about?' his mind questioned him. 'Arella already told you that she felt the same way. You have to do this. Man up, Beast Boy.'

"Well?" Raven's soft voice came. Beast Boy smiled. He regained his courage from the sound of her voice. Monotonous or not, it was still Raven. His Raven. He walked over to Raven's side and sat down on her bed. Raven looked a little startled at this, but she needed an answer. She wanted to see if her mother was right after all.

Beast Boy squeezed his eyes shut for a few second and then reopened them.

It was time to tell her.

"Raven, you and I have been through so much in our friendship. We've constantly teased and annoyed each other. But, we've also been there for each other through whatever was happening. You were the only one that believed me with the whole Beast incident, and you've always given me advice and listened to my problems. I've tried to be there for you in return." He paused to make sure she was still listening. She was.

"And then, throughout this entire experience, I've been forced to think about our relationship even more. I was forced to realize how close I was to losing you. You almost died, Raven. And…" Raven placed her hand on Beast Boy's, flooding him with warmth. He looked over at her and smiled, entwining hers in his own. A tiny pink hue appeared on her cheeks once more. Beast Boy chuckled.

'Here we go.'

"Raven, I know that the monks of Azarath have told you that you're not allowed to feel. I…" he started, but Raven interrupted him. She raised her brow.

"How did you know about the monks teachings?" she asked him simply.

Beast Boy bit his bottom lip. What could he say now? Could he really tell her that her mother froze time, took him to Azarath, and then told him her Raven's life story?

"Lucky guess?" he answered, shrugging. It wasn't very convincing, and Raven saw right through the lie.

"It's my mother, isn't it?" She stated, making it sound like an answer instead of a question. This surprised Beast Boy. She didn't even look at him, but she knew she was right by the way he exhaled through his nose and tensed up a little. Beast Boy turned and looked at her, and she followed suit. Beast Boy's eyes were still wide with surprise, and Raven's lips curved into a small smile.

"…yeah. She came and took me to Azarath. And she told me your story." Beast Boy said slowly, still trying to figure out how she knew about that.

"My mother is deceased. But, she is a part of me." Raven explained calmly. Beast Boy's eyes widened even more, if that's even possible. How many things didn't he know about Raven?

Raven let out a very small laugh and nodded at Beast Boy, telling him to go on with his story. Beast Boy ignored all of the questions that were pouring into his brain and remembered what he needed to do.

"The point is, you're free to express your emotions now, Rae! I know that that you have been forced to distance yourself from your friends and family because of the fear that your emotions would go out of control. That was before, but this is now. You're hurting yourself even more by keeping your emotions locked away. They're finding another way out, just like they did when you wouldn't admit that you were afraid. But, if you let them out on your own accord, they can't hurt anyone. If you let them show, you'll still have complete control." Beast Boy said, squeezing her hand. He silently thanked Azar for the strength to be able to get that out of him. God was Raven rubbing off on him.

With that said, Raven quickly turned towards Beast Boy with a look of unbelief on her face. Her eyes were wide with shock and happiness, as well as tears of joy. Unsure of what to do, she threw her arms around him and let the tears fall to his shoulder. He held her close, oblivious to the world outside of the empath's dark room.

"How do you know?" she asked him, still shocked. Amazement filed her voice.

Beast Boy pulled her closer in comfort. "Because you have a mother who is extremely smart." he answered her. And that was a good enough answer for right now.

Reluctantly, after a few minutes, she released him, wiping the remaining tears from her eyes. Beast Boy smiled at her again, pleased with his work.

'It's now or never, Beast Boy. Man up, and tell her.'

"Raven, I still need to tell you something." He began bravely. This was it. And he still felt that he was going to puke.

Raven looked him in his emerald green eyes, silently telling him to go on.

"Rae, I… I…"

Both of their hearts began to beat faster and faster. He couldn't believe he was about to tell her. And she listened to him stutter, already knowing what he was about to say. Arella had been right.

"I love you."

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Ladies and gentlemen, there is only one more chapter to go: the epilogue. I hope you guys have enjoyed my story. I've loved hearing your feedback.

So Beast Boy was finally able to man up and tell her. Congratulations, fellow BBRae fans. You're probably as proud as I am. :D

PLEASE REVIEW!

Love Liz.

(AKA, flightlessraven.)