Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans. This is a work of fiction that I am not making a profit off of.

A/N: I am currently a third or half way done Chapter 7! I'm still ahead! Ahahaha!

Flashback

"I didn't know you smoked."

Raven smirked bitterly at the comment, taking another slow drag of the cigarette between her lips. The empath sat at the edge of the roof; her legs dangling carelessly over the ledge. "I'm goth," she told him dryly.

Nightwing's brows furrowed with disappointment as he approached the ledge she sat on. "That doesn't mean you have to smoke."

"I kind of like it," she confessed. With a slow exhale, she smoothly blew the smoke out in delicate circles. Raven didn't need to turn around to see her leader's surprise. "Reminds me of home."

What?

"You know." She took another drag, looking at him with a smile. "I'm the daughter of demon, so inhaling cigarette ash is a nice substitute for fire and brimstone."

He froze, resting his hands against the ledge as he looked at his teammate. What the fuck was he supposed to say to that?

"I'm joking." Sort of.

Nightwing shook his head, running a tired hand through his hair. "That's fucking morbid, Rae."

She shrugged. "Again, goth," Raven reminded him unapologetically. "What are you doing up here anyway? I figured," she look once last drag of her cigarette, tossing it to the bay below. "You all would be out getting pizza."

The venom in her voice was clear.

"To celebrate," she mocked, gazing at the bright lights of Jump City.

"About that," Nightwing started with a heavy sigh. "I need to ask how you feel about Terra joining the team again."

Raven laughed. "Really?"

"I'm talking to everyone before I make the decision to officially reinstate Terra as Titan."

"Great. I get to be the asshole who objects."

"That's not-"

"Really?" She questioned, turning to face him. "So, who else said no? Because I know I'm not the first person you're asking."

"I don't feel comfortable discussing other teammate's opinions about a potential-"

"Bullshit."

He sighed. "It doesn't matter what they said."

"It does," she insisted. With a sigh, she reached into her hoodie, pulling out a pack of cigarettes. "It has to be a unanimous vote for a new member to join." She shook her head, placing the cigarette between her lips. Technically, Terra wasn't new, but with her memory issues she may as well have been. "We know Changeling isn't going to say no." Obviously. "Star isn't going to say no, and I doubt that Cy would. If you were going to say no, then you wouldn't even be proposing this vote. You want to see how everyone feels before you make a judgement.

He figured that was his responsibility as the leader.

"So, obviously," she started, lighting the cigarette. "If the vote isn't unanimous it's going to come back to me."

"That isn't true."

"I'm not going to be the bad guy." She refused to give Changeling another reason to ignore her. "If they want her on the team, fine. Whatever."

"It's not whatever." Nightwing told her.

Raven rolled her eyes, turning back to the cityscape.

"Your opinion and feelings matter," He pressed. "You have the right to say that you don't want Terra on this team."

"I'm not going to be vilified for it!"

"Who's going to vilify you?"

Was he joking? "Seriously?"

He was waiting for an explanation.

"It's bad enough..." Raven started with a heavy sigh. She wasn't interested in unpacking this emotional baggage. The plan was for her to hide up on the roof with her pack of cigarettes until they left the tower.

"What?"

"I can't handle him hating me anymore than he does." God, she felt stupid.

"Changeling doesn't hate you."

"Right," she nodded, shoulders sagging somberly as she took a deep drag. "Because hate would require attention and effort. He hasn't bothered to look at me since his girlfriend decided to remember him."

"Rav-"

"Don't even tell me that's not true," Raven warned him, eyes wide and angry. "He-" She sighed deeply, stopping the flood of words.

Raven never thought that she and Changeling would become friends. It wasn't something she expected, and it was one of those things she hadn't even bothered to work toward.

Changeling was open, playful, and everything she wasn't on the surface. On top of their contrasting personalities, Raven had to deal with her powers and personal demons. The odds of them becoming friends were nonexistent.

But, somehow it happened.

Small conversations over tea and soy milk, turned into outings for coffee and movie marathons. Raven found herself comfortable with him in her personal space.

They drank from the same cups and bottles.

She stole bites of his food with his fork and often rested her head to his shoulder.

He played with her hair and rest his head in her lap while lazy playing Game Station.

They napped on the couch together.

He placed warm kisses on her face and forehead.

Changeling had found a way to make her feel beautiful, wonderful, and worthy.

"You know what," she decided with a shrug, releasing the smoke from her lungs. "It doesn't matter."

Nightwing looked at her sadly. "Raven, it does m-"

She didn't. "No it doesn't." She turned her back to him, continuing to enjoy her cigarette.

"It does." He pushed.

Raven laughed joylessly, shaking her head. "So, it matters that she betrayed us?"

Nightwing leaned against the ledge, head hanging in defeat.

"And she was carrying on a relationship with our biggest enemy while she manipulated and used us."

He shook his head. "That isn't fair."

"Fine." Raven was big enough to acknowledge that the relationship Terra and Slade carried on was completely inappropriate and most likely out of her control, whether she initiated it or not. "But that doesn't change the fact that she manipulated us."

"I can't speak for Terra, but," Nightwing started, shaking his head. "My experience as Slade's apprentice wasn't fun."

"You weren't his willing lover." Raven hated herself the moment the comment left her lips. "Sorry. I know, I know. I shouldn't have said that, but-" She stopped, trying to slow her thoughts and calm her rage. "I don't trust her, and I can't forgive her." The things the blonde screamed as she held her head underneath the mud. "I'm sorry."

"She doesn't remember."

"No!" Raven's head snapped to look at him. "She says she doesn't remember. Terra has lied to us before-"

"I don't know, Rae," he told her, looking at her seriously. "Changeling approached her years ago, and she told him that she didn't remember him or us. Her story has been con-"

"Whatever," she hissed. "How many times are we going to let her betray us?"

"I'll veto it."

"Don't bother." Raven rolled her eyes, looking angrily toward the cityscape in front of them. "Vote her in, take her out pizza, do what you want."

"Okay." Nightwing stepped back. "Did you want to come?"

What the fuck? "Are you fucking kidding me!?"

His hands went in front of him in defeat. "I was just asking."

"Well," Raven pulled out another cigarette. "Don't."

FLASH FORWARD

"Have you spoken with friend Raven?

Nightwing sighed. He kicked heels up on the bed as his back fell against the headboard. Phone in hand, he raised it eye level. "Nope."

Starfire frowned, stepping in the doorway of their bedroom. "Perhaps you should call or send the text?" She wondered, running the brush through her hair.

"It's late," he frowned, fingers tumbling over the screen of his phone.

"But you are worried," Starfire noticed, eyeing the wrinkles in his forehead. "Send the text message, Richard."

"She could be driving."

"So, Arsenal could respond for her," she started. Flipping her hair behind her shoulder, she placed her hands on her lips looking at her boyfriend seriously. "They could also be at a resting stop or at a hotel for sleeping."

The wrinkles in his forehead seemed to dip further with thought.

"What?" Starfire questioned, head tilting as she crawled on top of him to straddle his hips. Her fingers curled into his hair as she waited patiently for an answer.

"I don't know," Nightwing huffed.

She nodded, fingers playing with his locks. "You are still feeling the shock about Raven leaving?" Starfire wondered. "Or," she continued, her voice light and deceptively innocent. "You are shocked by Changeling's reaction to her sudden departure?"

"It wasn't sudden," he murmured, leaning into her touch.

"For us? No," she agreed. "But, he just found out one of our friends has left us. He has the right to have the feelings. "

"Yes," Nightwing sighed, feeling his shoulders and chest cave collapse on his exhale. "But…" He wondered how much Raven revealed to when the pair hung out.

Starfire's eyebrows raised with interest as she watched her boyfriend struggle. "You find it strange because he is in the relationship with Terra?" She questioned carefully with a knowing smile.

"How-"

"You are surprised?"

Yea. "You never told me you knew Raven had a thing for Changeling."

"You never discussed with me that Changeling had a thing for Raven."

"You think so?"

"Well," Starfire shrugged, wrapping her arms around his neck. She hugged him close, nuzzling her face against his neck. "They have always had the chemistry."

He would hardly qualify the earlier days of Raven tossing the changeling into the bay daily basis chemistry. "I wouldn't say that…"

"Perhaps chemistry isn't the right word." Starfire's lips twisted in confusion as she released a heavy huff. She pulled herself away from him, placing her hands on his shoulders. "They've always had the air between them."

"Air?"

"Thick air?" She tried to explain, her hands gesturing wildly between them. "Hard energy. The push and pull?"

"Tension?" Nightwing guessed.

"Yes, they have always had some tension between them."

He chuckled. "They have."

"I always thought that they would be able to find their way to each other."

"You asleep?"

No. "Yea."

Roy chuckled, rolling to his back as his head rolled to face her. "Of course. Those open eyes and responding to my questions should've tipped me off."

"I'm impressed you can see," Raven smirked, turning to face him. Her hands bunched underneath her pillow as her eyes narrowed to focus on him. After Roy had showered, they ate in comfortable silence as they watched the shopping network before deciding to go to bed.

"Well, your eyes kinda glow," he commented softly.

That was news to her.

"Also, the clock on the nightstand is reflecting on the whites of your eyes."

That was it. "Smooth, Roy."

"I do what I can."

She could hear the pride and amusement in his voice. "I'm sure, Harper."

"That's a new one," he laughed, loudly.

"It's not new; it's your name," she informed him, shooting him her best glare through the darkness. "And we should probably get some rest." Her eyes drifted to the clock on the nightstand between them.

"Not sleepy," Roy shrugged with a loud sigh. "Let's play a game."

She wasn't ready for sleep either, but… "I am not getting out of bed."

"No need, we're going to play two truths and a lie."

Raven's eyes were wide as she stared at him in the darkness. "Okay?"

"You've never played?"

"I don't think so."

"You know for someone who parties-"

"I don't 'party'" Raven insisted with a laugh.

"Right goth kid. Glow sticks and raving, no real social interaction amongst the crowd."

She couldn't decide if she was more upset with his assessment or how accurate he was. Raven smothered her her laughter with a yawn. "Asshat."

"I am, so," he continued unbothered. "To play, you have to say two things about yourself that are true and one that is false. The other person has to pick the one out that's a lie."

Okay. "You start," she smirked.

"I'm left handed. I have a tattoo, and," Roy paused, clicking his tongue. "I grew up on a Native American Reservation."

"The first one," Raven answered immediately.

"What?!"

"You're ambidextrous, but you're right dominant."

His confusion was evident in the darkness.

"You draw the arrow back with your right hand." She'd fought beside him enough time to notice which hand he held the bow in. "And I saw the tattoo on your shoulder after your shower."

"Why, Miss Raven you were looking at my tender flesh?" He sighed dramatically, feigning shock.

"I couldn't help but notice your chest collecting bread crumbs as you ate your sandwich."

Roy chuckled. "Your turn."

Raven rolled her eyes. "Um," she started with a little shrug. "Yellow is my favorite color. Purple isn't my natural hair color. I speak at least five different languages."

"Yellow is not your favorite color," he told her proudly. "It's blue or purple."

"Actually," she drawled. "Yellow is my favorite color."

"What!?" He shrieked with shock. "You haven't worn yellow a day in your life."

"I never said I looked good in it, but I like the color."

Roy shook his head. He knew she spoke many languages. When she'd visited the Tower in the past, she picked up Spanish pretty quick. So, that meant… "Wait?! That's not your natural hair color!?"

Raven laughed. "Night Roy." She rolled facing away from him as she continued to chuckle.

"Wait, we have to talk about this!" What the hell just happened? "Everything I know is a lie!"

"I'm asleep now."

"You are not! Talk to me, woman!"

"Can't. Sleeping," she laughed, rolling over to close her eyes.

"Raven!"

"She's not answering."

"That's because," Terra started, rolling to her back with Changeling's portable GameStation locked in her hands. Blue eyes slid over to her boyfriend as she adjusted her head against her pillow. "It's midnight. Normal people are sleeping, babe."

Changeling growled hearing the familiar voicemail message. Sitting up, he tried dialing. "Well, we're awake."

"I said normal," she teased, pausing her game and placing the console on the nightstand. "We," Terra started, crawling to her knees. She wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head to his shoulder. "Are weirdos."

Exhaling, he opened his messages. "Yep." Couldn't hurt to send her another text message. The screen was already flooded with unreturned messages, what was one more?

"I think you need to give her a chance to respond."

"She hasn't responded all day," he murmured testing furiously.

"Maybe," Terra sighed, watching as the words populated the screen. "She doesn't want to talk."

"Not a good enough excuse."

"I'm just saying," she whispered, resting her cheek against his own. "There is a reason people don't answer their phones.

"Yea," Changeling scuffed as he tried calling her again, putting the phone to the other side of his face. "No reception, volume off, they're driving-"

"Or they don't want to talk to you."

He stared past the wall in front of her listening to the ringing in his here.

"You've reached the voicemail box of-"

He tossed the phone to the center of the bed.

Raven was avoiding him.

Changeling was mature enough to look back on his early teen years and comprehend how someone could have found him annoying. Granted, someone of his behavior was his way of dealing with trauma, but it hadn't made his actions less annoying.

Constantly talking or acting without thinking.

Being loud and inconsiderate in common areas.

Whining.

Joking at inappropriate times.

Though their lack of friendship wasn't solely his fault in the beginning, Changeling was willing to admit that he hadn't truly done his part to earn Raven's trust. Things had changed though. Aside from Terra, he considered Raven the Titan he was closest to.

He somehow found the words and will to tell her things that he hadn't been able share with others.

Changeling remembered sobbing into her cloak on the anniversary of his parent's death on year. Hot, angry embarrassed tears streamed down his face as the children's movie they were watching reminded him of his own loss.

He confessed his love of meat, and his indulgence in the occasional rare steak when he felt his Beast creeping closer to his consciousness.

Raven had been the first person he opened up to after he confronted Terra when he saw her statue missing. They'd sat for hours in the raining, but he she listened to him.

Terra didn't know these things about him.

Things between them were different him and Raven. They were close, so he thought.

"I don't know why she would avoid me," he sighed, shoulders sagging.

"You guys aren't exactly close."

What? "She's like my best friend." What the hell was she talking about? Sure, that may have been the case years ago but they'd grown up.

Things changed.

"No," Terra quipped playfully, tapping the tip of his nose in admonishment. "I'm your best friend."

Naturally. "I mean after you."

"I thought that was Cyborg."

"Honestly, I'm closer to Raven," Changeling confessed. "We get each other."

"You all have nothing in common, and you all never hang out."

"Umm, we have plenty in common." Tragedy, trauma, etc… aside, he'd found that they shared some similar tastes in music and had grown to appreciate books recommendations from each other. "And, we've hung out before." Not recently but that hadn't affected their bond in his eyes. It shouldn't have.

They both liked the color yellow.

Preferred strawberry jelly to grape.

Agreed that maple syrup was the preferred topping for pancakes, and blueberry syrup was a close second if it contained the actual berry.

Enjoyed animated movies.

"That's not the point," he told her. "She wouldn't just leave without an explanation. Something has to be wrong."

"Nightwing, Starfire, and Cyborg don't seem to be so concerned," Terra noted unwrapping her arms from his neck and settling back against the headboard.

"I'm not Nightwing, Starfire, or Cyborg." He regretted the words before he could finish saying them. The changeling sighed loudly, "That was mean. I'm sorry."

"Hey," she leaned over touching his knee tenderly. "I get it. You're upset."

"I shouldn't have snapped at you though."

"You're worried," Terra told him. "It's sweet."

Green eyes were bright and sorrowful. "I'm sorry," he repeated.

"I forgive you, ya goof." She chuckled, crawling to press a gentle kiss to his lips. "Were you and Raven close when I was working for the enemy?" It was comforting they could discuss and joke about her forgotten past.

Changeling frowned. "No, actually," he recalled. "We didn't get close until after you rejected me."

"Hm," she nodded. "I never knew. You guys haven't hung out since I've been here."

"No way." When was the last time they went to the bookstore? Books and blueberry bagels were mandatory a weekly event. It couldn't have been that long.

"Babe, I had no idea you and Raven were best friends," she stated. "Or friends." Terra pressed another kiss to his lips before settling back on her side of the bed.

Changeling reached for his phone, starting sourly at the screen. He pulled their chat, fingers hovering over the keyboard.

Rae-

His fingers froze for a moment.

I just want to know you're safe. Your my best friend. I don't know understand why you left, but-

Changeling sighed, hopelessly staring as he deleted some words.

-but, it doesn't matter right now. Just let me know you're okay.

That we are okay.

Changeling shook his head, deleting that last sentence. How did he not know his best friend was leaving?

Please talk to me.

To be Continued...