Disclaimer: Still don't own it, honestly do I have to do this every time? *Sighs*. Raven is mine though.
Author's note: I'm sure from the last chapter, you're a little confused, I mentioned it was a Karen and Raven fic, and yet Raven was checking out the feisty red headed barmaid. I want to point out, he's 18. I've mentioned his views towards girls. So you can guess he's very shy. He's still got all the same hormones, so it's not like he can control everything. Don't make assumptions. You make ass's out of yourself when you do. I know it's not the way the saying goes, but it's how it will this time.
Last time:
Pulling out what little money he had he thought up his options. He quickly decided on paying Doug for the bed, then making his way to see Karen and Rick. By Ravens watch, it was 8:50 and from the letters he got, Karen and Rick spoke almost every day at 9am till 10am outside the supermarket. They'd be in for a big surprise.
Running off downstairs, being careful not to wake his sleeping friend. Raven walked to the counter where Doug was cleaning out a bar mug with a cloth of some kind. Typical bar scene.
"Hey Doug, here's what money I've got, I'm going to go have a look around the village, see if I can't find my two penpals."
"Actually, I was going to ask you about that. Do they know you was on your way over?"
Smiling as his form of reply was all Doug got as Raven walked out of the building with a wave. Leaving Doug to take the money and write down a note or two, chuckling to himself at the thoughts of their faces when they see him.
The inn was pretty close to the supermarket, within his sights actually, so staking out next to a tree, Raven stayed still and watched the area around the super market. And true to form, at exactly 9am Rick appeared on the scene from the route that goes past the church. And the moment he was at what Raven guessed was his position, the doors to the super market opened and there she was.
Knowing that Karen was a sharp-minded girl, if he checked her over when he was in front of her, he'd no doubt receive a whack on the head or something. So he took his opportunity now, while he still had it available.
Her hair length had grown a lot longer; it was far down her back, and around the level of waist length. The majority of her hair was still blonde, while the bangs that framed her face was still a darker shade, almost brown. She still war a similar purple vest that he remembered, but this one had a bit of what looked like wool around the edges. But from his angle it could have been along the inside as well. "Probably a winter version of the vest she always wears. Though I must admit, the concept is unique; I've never seen one like that before. Nor a market for a vest for the winter at all really." Along with her vest and what looked like a thermal underneather, she also had on a pair of dark bluish jogging bottoms on. Like Ann, she too had grown taller, most likely, judging from his distance, the same height as himself. She's also grown well in other areas as well. But he tried not to concentrate on that.
"Awesome butt as well though, can't deny that."
Smirking to himself and taking note of Ricks appearance, he wasn't surprised to see the only difference in his chicken oriented friend, was height and a little bit more muscle mass.
Standing up from his spot behind a tree, he decided to play a little joke on the two. Running through the town square and towards the church, he jumped over the fence that surrounded it and started silently but quickly, making his way towards the two.
From where they were standing, having their usual morning chat. There was a fence just behind them and beyond that was a large amount of forest.
Making his way through said forest was remarkably easier when you could track your targets by their loud voice and distinct smell of chicken. Took no more than 10 minutes to sneak up on them.
With himself only a few feet away, Raven picked up a nearby pebble and chucked it onto the floor a little ways behind them, causing their attentions to be on the opposite direction from him.
Would have been a good laugh. Except for when he jumped out from the fence, shouting, "boo", Karen had thought it was some stranger trying to attack them. So cocking her fist back quickly, she let it fly true. Hitting Raven dead in the face.
The result, a bleeding nose, a black eye and unconsciousness.
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Checking whom she'd knocked out, she called Rick over immediately. It didn't take long for her and Rick to curse a storm and get Raven onto Ricks back and into the clinic, where the doctor rushed over straight away.
5 minutes later, he was assuring the two youngsters that he'd be fine. But wanted to keep him back for half an hour just to make sure.
With Elli and the doctor basically ushering Rick and Karen out, they made their way into the market place and looked around for any possible letter from Raven that she might have missed. Finding none, the repeated the search at chicken lils. But Rick couldn't' find one anywhere.
Quick logical thinking on Karen's part, led them to the only place someone visiting could stay at. The Inn.
Once inside they both ran up to Doug, panting from the exertion.
"Well now, I was wondering when you two would show up."
"Very funny, so he is staying here?"
"Yes he is. But why isn't he here with you?"
Just as Karen was about to make up a lie about an accident. Rick stepped in by replying, "Karen knocked him out, and he's in the clinic."
Now, unfortunately for our Raven, duke was in a bit earlier that day, so he overheard, what Rick had said, though it sounded a little differently to him, considering he was slightly inebriated. Leaving his money on the table he was at, he went home to continue with his work. Mentioning in passing to his wife manna about what he heard.
The moment it hit manna, it hit the grapevine. Pun intended. And when that happened, every one in town heard it, whether the true course of events, or an old drunkards version of events, or Chinese whispers kind of version. Either way, within 30 minutes everyone knew. Or at least knew that Raven had returned and had been knocked out by Karen.
"You knocked him out? Purposely or accident?" Doug asked while barely holding back a smirk at the turn of events. He was far from the kind of person to take pleasure in others misfortunes, but he was a religious man, and god had decided that to happen, or at least in Doug's view, for Raven not telling anyone he was coming beforehand.
"Accident of course" Karen retorted with a port that looked out of place on her, maybe it would have looked more in place on popuri maybe. But Rick found it humorous none the less. And without doubt he would tell Raven that piece of information later, most likely against Karens wishes.
"Of course" Doug responded no longer hiding a smile at Karen's expense.
"It was!" Karen almost shouted, embarrassed at what happened. An embarrassed and angry sort of blush on her face.
Doug no longer able to control himself chuckled for a moment before smiling at Karen in a more fatherly way, "I didn't say otherwise. So seeing as he's there and you're here, I'm assuming he's ok and you need something. Either that or you want to borrow Anne?"
Before Karen could reply, Rick this time took the stage, so to speak. "Mainly just curious as to if he had somewhere to stay. We all know what Ravens like for planning ahead."
Chuckling again Doug nodded and smiled, "Yup, checked in this morning. With only 80 gold he wanted to pay me back with work. Don't know how long he's planning on staying, so been compiling a nice long list for him of jobs to do."
Nodding in relief at hearing that Raven was safe for somewhere to stay, Rick smiled at Doug, thanked him for his help and dragged a still pouting red faced Karen out of the inn and back towards the clinic. The 30 minutes long up.
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Once back at the clinic, Elli walked over straight away from the doctors area, with a plane sort of smile on her face, "The doctor said that Raven is all ok and said he's about to wake up any second. He's just headed on upstairs, but said your both welcome to sit in there and wait for him to wake up." And without another word ushered them into the room where Rick earlier laid Raven down on, and scurried back to her desk at the reception.
Walking behind the curtained off area and seeing Raven lying there on the bed was uncomfortable. For both Karen and Rick.
Karen sat down on a nearby chair while Rick went and sat on the windowsill, looking out at the snow which started snowing once more.
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Wasn't longer than 10 more minutes before Raven stirred. Voices sounded dull and hazy, and he didn't even feel able to open his eyes just yet. From his guesses, from both the smell of disinfectant, and the last thing he remembered being a fist. He assumed he was in the clinic, and he knew from previous experiences, that the lights were always blinding to normal people, let alone with his eyes.
As a few seconds passed, his hearing sharpened till the point he recognised whom it was. Karen and Rick. And an unfamiliar sharp pain throbbing in his facial area that he knew he should have expected.
"That girl's got a mean right hook."
When he realised what the two was talking about he smiled.
"Oh stop blaming yourself Karen, neither of us had any idea." The familiar voice of Rick said, a softness in his voice that didn't surprise him in the least.
"You say that, but you weren't the one that hospitalised an old friend."
"Well technically it's not a hospital, it's a clinic, and your only worried because your worried he's going to hate you for it. We both know it takes a lot for Raven to hate someone."
"Like a punch to the face?"
"It's hardly cheating on him like his ex did."
"Well, no. But that's not the same thing."
"You say that Karen, but even then Raven didn't hate her did he. He didn't forgive her. But he told her to leave and then carried on his life. If she couldn't make him hate her. I'm sure you wont"
"Oh, shut up."
Raven could practically hear a pout coming from Karen's direction, and with a soft smile that ached; he decided to break up a row between his two friends. He knew full well what sorts of arguments the two got into.
"Now, now you two.. this is a clinic, not a wrestling match" Raven was quite surprised at the hoarseness of his voice. Though he knew he shouldn't have been, it still caught him by surprise at how weak he sounded.
"Raven!" Karen shouted at the comment, racing over from her chair and glomping him for all she was worth.
A brief 'Shhh!' coming from behind the curtain.
When Karen realised she was hugging Raven so openly she blushed and pulled back, deciding to just sit on the edge of the bed instead.
"Hey now Kay, not too loud alright?" Raven chuckled out while shifting his weight so he was in a sitting up position. Opening his eyes slowly he aimed his head down so he didn't have to put up with the blindingly white lights. Instead seeing Rick's head upside down looking up at him with a goofy grin on his face.
Chuckling quietly, due to his weakened state more than anything else, he smirked at Rick and winked. "Comfy with your head in my lap? Beautiful sight when one wakes up after losing consciousness"
His goofy grin practically splitting his face in half, Rick and Raven both straightened up, Rick gently placing his hand on Ravens back. "Nice to see you old friend."
"You too chicken boy"
Turning to look over at Karen, Raven smiled and opened his arms out for her, he previous embarrassment forgotten; she enveloped him in a warm hug.
Within a few seconds of the heart-warming scene, a throat being cleared broke up the embrace. Causing everyone to turn around and see the doctor standing in the doorway. "While I hate to interrupt personal moments, I need to see if my patient is alright."
Within seconds before anyone could reply, Elli was in and ushering Karen and Rick into the waiting room before scuttling back in and handing the doctor a clipboard.
"Hello there, my names Tim, I'm the local doctor. Lets get you checked over one last time ok?"
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Author's notes:
Well what did you all think? Did I make it seem ok? Haven't written in such a long time. Just randomly got the urge to write a bit more.
Read and review please!
Take care everyone!