Here's this month's chapter. Had lots of fun with this one, there's even a bit of much needed fluff.

I do not own Teen Titans.

Chapter 7 (Behind the Mask)

Sometimes it seems that the hardest moments one will face in life, are the ones that seem to last forever. It took all her will power, all her strength not to slam the phone down upon the receiver when she heard the news. Why? Why did it have to happen this way? Would she ever, for once in her twenty years have some good fortune? Was she doomed to be a victim of fate or was she merely its plaything. After two years of running...was it really time to give up the fight?

"Raven? Are you okay? I heard a loud noise." Kori asked. She came in from the next room, her eyes wide with worry.

"I'm okay." Raven sighed. "I'm just a little upset but I will be fine. So what about your call with Richard? Is he coming over to inspect the damaged window?"

Kori smiled. "Yes, he's bringing a few police officers with him in about an hour. Richard thinks this vandalism might be linked to the guy who attacked me but there is no proof. All we can do is keep our eyes open. So when he gets here, I shall give my side of the story and then...I guess we'll see what happens."

Raven raised her eyebrow. "We'll see what happens? Was it just me or did I detect a hint of longing in your voice?"

The redhead blushed. "We are only friends, that's all. Right now Detective Grayson is not focused on anything other than the problem at hand. So any feelings I might have towards him are irrelevant in comparison to his determination to finish this case. While I am very grateful that he's been working so very hard to help me, I still don't know if there's a connection between us."

"Connection, huh?" Raven snorted. "Well I wouldn't hold your breath. Please be careful Kori, I wouldn't want you to get hurt."

"If only it was that simple." Kori sighed with dismay. "Now please Raven, enough about me. I know there are more worrisome thoughts on your mind then my boy issues. You seemed quite upset when you finished your phone calls...are you ever going to tell me what they were about? Did something happen? I don't want you to deflect my questions again so please, tell me why you are so upset."

"I appreciate your concern, but you'll just have to trust me." Raven said with a small smile. "I have my reasons for keeping it quiet but I assure you that I'm fine. I just have to step out of the house for some errands. I won't be home till around five, so take care of the police when they get here, okay?"

Kori folded her arms angrily. "Errands? What are these errands that you speak of? We were both here to witness the attack, which by the way almost killed me! What if the police as me about your whereabouts? Then what? Do you expect me to lie to Richard? That's not fair Raven!"

"Well, do want you must." Raven deadpanned. "And I will do what I have to do."

The two girls parted ways, with Raven slamming the front door angrily. The impact rattled the broken window panes, but for the moment, she just didn't care. Raven was sick of it all, sick of people not understanding anything and frustrated with being unable to tell them. She dug through her purse to find her keys. Where were they? She made sure they were in there before she left and...

"Looking for something?" Gar asked. He held up a familiar key ring and smiled mischievously.

Raven glared at him. "That's not funny Garfield. I'm in a hurry and you're not helping."

The boy held up his hands in mock surrender. "Fine...fine...no need to get so angry. I'll give your keys back...if you tell me where you're going in such a rush. I saw the damage to your house when I was getting up to go to work this morning. You're not in any trouble...are you?"

"I'm fine!" Raven said through gritted teeth. "Now just give me the stupid keys before I lose my temper."

Gar looked torn for a moment then sighed. "Alright...alright...you win."

He tossed the key ring haphazardly towards her hands and began making his way back towards his own house. He glanced back at her a couple times, giving Raven a sad, pitiful look. With his lower lip quivering as if holding back tears, it completed his kicked puppy dog look.

"Garfield, I know what you're doing and it won't work." Raven said over her shoulder, as she unlocked her car door. "I don't have time for the FACE. You won't manipulate me into letting you come with me. Not this time...not ever!"

"But Rae..." He whimpered again.

"Don't look back...don't look back...don't look back." Raven whispered to herself. "Don't look back...don't look back...don't look back!"

But of course, she knew she could not help it. As soon as she turned around and faced him, she was once again drawn in by those big green eyes of his. The way he was staring at her with pure longing made her heart melt once again. It was stupid...it was pure animal magnetism but it worked. It always worked.

Scowling angrily, she opened the side door and gestured inside. "Fine...get in before I change my mind."

"Yay!" Gar said happily, his sadness immediately forgotten. "So where are we going anyway?"

Raven didn't answer; she instead put her seat belt on and turned on the car's ignition. Putting the car into drive, she sped out of the driveway and headed towards the nearest freeway that went into the next town.

Knowing that her exit wouldn't be for a couple of miles, Raven decided to break the tension in the air. She had felt it ever since Gar had come and she knew he was waiting for some sort of explanation. He was worried, that much was obvious but was it for the right reason?

"We're going to Gotham City Detention Center." Raven said bluntly. "I think I have an idea who was behind it all but I don't have any proof. So until I talk to someone face to face, I'm going to have to rely on my instincts. But I have to warn you Gar...there are things you don't know about me. Things I haven't told anybody about. Not Victor, not Kori and not you. I'm not a good person Gar. There's another reason...a more sinister reason why I moved to my home two years ago."

"It's not to avoid any parking tickets, is it?" Gar joked. "Because, I don't think that's very sinister. I do it all the time anyway and I haven't got caught yet!"

Raven glared at him and Gar laughed awkwardly. "Right...not helping but Raven for what it's worth, I don't think you're evil."

"Thanks, I really appreciate that sentiment Gar but sometimes I wonder." Raven said as she smiled sadly at him. "I try to be a good person, I really do. I return my library books on time, I pay my taxes and I try to show a reasonable amount of kindness to people in general but even so...is it just a waste of time? I know I have a temper and I admit I have lashed out a few times."

Gar shrugged. "So you get mad sometimes, you wouldn't be the first."

Raven nodded, keeping her eyes to the road. The traffic was picking up and she could feel the anxiety slowly creeping up on her. Just up ahead, the looming building of the prison stood menacingly in front of them. Barbed wire was strung up around a tall fence and an armed guard stood waiting just outside the gate.

"People get mad Gar, it's normal but what I did Gar was not normal. Two years ago, I went by the name of Rachel Roth. I went by the name Rachel Roth and in only one week before my high school graduation I made the biggest mistake of my life. I nearly killed someone because I was stupid enough to believe in love and stupid enough to believe that my ex boyfriend Malchior was always right. Now because I trusted the wrong person, Malchior could be out there planning his revenge on me and my friends. It's all my fault Gar and I don't know how to make things right."