Sorry about ending the chapter that way last time, I just felt like trolling you all for a bit. :)

Raven was just about to step into the brush when he hit her. A flash of teeth and blur of green were her only warnings when the Beast jumped down from the branches of a tree and wrapped him arm around her waist, throwing her to the ground. She was able to curl her body so that the blow didn't knock the wind out of her completely, but his sheer size and speed still took quite a bit of it away, and her arm wasn't spared the impact. A white-hot lance of agony shot from her wrist to her shoulder, burrowing itself in her skull. She screamed in pain and tried to struggle out from beneath him, but in her moments of confusion he had grabbed her arms and held them to the ground, his grip stronger than iron bars. Raven thrashed her legs, trying to get a knee between them, only to meet his thighs as he pressed her legs into the sandy shore, his hips level over her own. Struggling with all she had left she screamed at him, snarling curses from every language she knew, some of them would have held power if she had any magic left.

The Beast only seemed to enjoy the struggle she put up, pressing his nose into her hair and taking a deep whiff, growling deep in his chest when her struggles brought her waist up as she arched her back.

Eventually her struggles wound down when the pain in her arm started to permeate the frantic fog her mind had wrapped itself in, and still she was pinned on her back in the sandy grass, the rumbling growl from the beast on top of her practically making her bones shiver.

"Beast Boy, please," she whispered, trying to reach out to the boy she knew was in the Beast.

The changeling slammed into his prey, falling on top of her as she fell, and grabbed either of her wrists as he heard her scream. The sound of her fear and pain sent shivers of excitement down his spine. He pressed her to the ground and used his legs to pin her thighs down, effectively binding her on the ground with his weight. He felt her struggle and start to yell as he bent down and smelled her hair, feeling its intoxicating scent fill his head with bubbles of pleasure.

Her yelling and squirming only served to excite him more and he allowed the female to work herself up, watching as his ardor grew with each word. Her body was pressed so close he could feel every movement and shift of muscle pressed against his torso like a fan blowing a flame they only served to make him more aroused. With all the fight in her, the Beast was pleased he had found such a worthy mate. The next moments, he knew, would be most pleasurable for him. Not so for the female, but if she survived, the offspring would be enough of an end to allow these means. He readied himself to dominate her completely when she suddenly stopped fighting and lay down, choosing instead to look up at him.

"Beast Boy, please," he heard her whisper.

The Beast paused and looked down at her in bemusement.

She has beautiful eyes, he noted idly, such a nice color.

He paused a moment and adjusted his grip on her arms, careful of her broken wrist, so he could hold her down with one hand free. He cupped her cheek in his open palm and stared back at her, his bemusement turning to affection.

"Beast Boy?" she asked, the fear tightly controlled in her voice.

Such soft skin, he thought fondly, stroking just under her eye with his thumb. As such a strong will.

She tried to speak again, but her voice failed and she was only able to produce broken syllables, but the changeling understood it as 'please'. He nodded, trying to let her know he understood, and bent his head to nuzzle her neck, his care for the young woman producing a need to comfort her.

"I'm scared."

The Beast stopped, his mouth just over her neck, and seemed to freeze in place. He felt her take a deep breath and saw her squeeze her eyes shut, trying to control the emotion that surrounded her.

Scared? Raven's never afraid.

The young hero pulled his knees up to either side of his friend and sat on his haunches, his head cocked as he wondered what was wrong.

Raven took a deep breath and squeezed her eyes shut, trying desperately to find Nevermore within her mind so she could escape mentally, if not physically. She searched frantically, trying to reign in her fear so her mind was less crowded, when she suddenly felt the Beast shift on top of her. She braced herself and cringed, but opened her eyes in surprise when she felt him re-orient himself over her stomach, crouching on his knees over her. She watched with wide eyes as the Beast searched her face, and she couldn't help the choked sob that escaped her when his wolfish features were replaced with her teammates, as he held her cheek and looked at her in concern.

"Raven?" he asked, bewildered. "What's wrong? Why are you afraid? Why are you crying?" He leaned over her in concern and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

Raven could only shake her head as she pulled herself out from under him, careful of her left arm. She stood up and stumbled over to a nearby tree, sagging down to the ground beneath it, and let herself cry silently for a few moment, the relief she felt as strong as any ocean current.

Beast boy looked around in confusion, not recognizing where he was for a moment. It took him a few seconds to piece together the realization that he must have blacked out when he saw the butler hit Raven. With that thought, and the sight of his teammate crying, a terrible dread started to chill his stomach. What had he done?

"WHAT?" The Master stared at the screen and practically tried to tear it from the wall he was so angry. "It was so close! He almost had her! Why did he stop?"

The old man paced and tore at his hair, his fury almost overwhelming his senses. When he finally had himself under control he pulled up a video screen and asked to see Ms. Fantoccini. The screen filled with static and reformed into the shape of the Spindress's dark room. He could just make out her shadow crouching over a bundle in her web, her face buried in the silk encompassing the poor soul she was eating.

The Zookeeper cleared his throat and she jumped, turning to face the screen. Hurriedly she wiped the fluids from her chin as she asked what she could do.

"When you're finished with Ronald come see me. We have much to do, and I prefer to have results within nine months."

"Yes, sir. I'll be there as soon as possible."

"Finnish you're meal first. You've earned it, after all. Just be sure not to take too long."

On screen, the Spindress bowed and Carlisle cut the feed, already turning to head back to his office.

Sending you all love!