"Raven … I want to talk about us."

Raven shifted in her chair, turning away from him.

"Hey! I'm over here."

"I know." She replied.

"Then look at me."

"I'd rather not."

The infirmary suddenly became very silent.

"Raven … we have a problem … and pretending it's not there won't make it go away."

Without moving and still not looking at him, she replied.

"There is no problem. Rachel is your girlfriend and you're going to stay together, and I'm very happy for both of you."

He smirked at her. "If you're gonna lie, you need to do better than that."

She turned to face him and glared. "Would you prefer that I be bitter and heartbroken?"

"No, of course not. That's not what I want at all."

She heaved an exasperated sigh. "What do you want from me, Gar?"

Suddenly he looked uncomfortable and stared into his lap.

"Rave … I haven't been honest with you … when Rachel first showed up I thought she was you, but when I learned the truth … I … was dishonest … I mean … I really like Rachel … she was just like you, but uninhibited."

"You mean she slept with you." Raven growled.

"She did, and I won't lie to you … that was … really … OK … it did help me like her even more."

"If you're trying to make me feel better, it isn't working."

He raised his hands apologetically.

"Rave, what I'm trying to say is that the real reason I like Rachel so much is because she is so much like you. Now that I look back, I realize that I was copping out, I was cheating. Instead of trying to make things work out between us, I took the easy way out. And to make matters worse, I think that the only reason Rachel likes me is because … because she's you."

Raven nodded her head in agreement. "She can't help it, Gar. She inherited so much from me, much more than just my genome."

"But, there are differences." He replied. "Sure, there are the good ones, but there are also bad ones … she's possessive and insecure. And even though she's Rage free, she has a nasty temper."

"I guess she is my sister. With some mental discipline and meditation, she'll overcome all that."

"I suppose you're right … but … I've been thinking, a lot … and no wisecracks about that, OK?"

"Did I say anything?" She asked in a mock offended voice. "You know that I love you for more than just your handsome green body."

"Yeah, right. Anyway … I'm starting to have doubts about Rach … I mean, I do like her a lot, I might even love her, but …"

He sighed. "I think I made a big mistake, Rave."

Raven shifted in her chair and locked eyes with him.

"Are you telling me that you want to dump her and be my boyfriend?"

He gulped nervously while he rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh … yeah."

She pulled her chair closer to him. He saw a faint hint of a smile form on her gray lips.

"Gar, you have no idea of how happy you just made me … but … I don't accept your offer."

"What!? You gotta be kidding! Why?"

Raven took his hands into her own and squeezed them.

"Because what you're saying isn't true … you do love her, Gar. I'm an empath so I should know. As hard as this is to do, I release you, so you can be with her."

"But what about us?"

"Gar, you will always be my true love. You were since the day the Gordanians arrived … but … demons don't have mates, which is why I tried using the Star or Eradon. It was a cheat, such a tempting cheat. But it didn't work, cheats never do. It didn't make me better, just different. I became someone I didn't like, and I don't think you liked her either."

"Rave, we can make this work." He pleaded.

She leaned over and grabbing his head she pulled him into a kiss. It was packed with a passion he had never experienced before, not even with Rachel. He felt his body temperature ruse as their tongues danced with each other while she caressed his chest. She then pushed him down onto the bed and climbed onto him, rubbing her body against his and he became so aroused that he was ready to consummate with Raven right then and there. He briefly separated his lips from hers.

"Oh Rave." He moaned as he opened his eyes and shrieked, as he found himself staring directly into her four demonic eyes.

Raven pulled back and got off the bed, raising her hood in the process.

"It won't work, Gar. All we did was kiss and I almost lost it. Can you imagine what would happen if we had intercourse?"

"There has to be a way." He whimpered.

"There isn't. The Star was my last hope, and it was a failure."

"So what do we do?"

Raven's eyes were now back to normal. "This was so much easier when we were kids. I could pretend to not like you and keep you at a safe distance. There were rough patches along the way, like when you fell in love with Terra and when Malchior tricked me, but you were always there for me, no matter how badly I treated you."

She paused.

"But we aren't kids anymore. There's no point in having secret crushes that can never be fulfilled. It's time to grow up, Gar."

"Sometimes I wish we still were kids." He replied in a dejected voice.

"You haven't told her anything, have you?"

"What? You mean about breaking up? No, I haven't told her anything."

"Good, that would not only have been stupid, because you do love her, but she probably would have killed you. Gar … you don't do that to a girl."

"So, you're saying that I should stay with her?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

He looked perplexed and confused. "But what about you?"

"I will continue to be me, alone. But knowing that you chose me will provide me with consolation on many lonely nights. But don't look back, Gar, be the man that she needs, help her discover who she really is, that she's more than just my clone. I know you can do that, Gar, because you did it for me."

Raven rose from her chair. "Just so you know, I handed in my resignation this morning."

"You did what? You're quitting the family?"

"Don't worry, Robin refused to accept my resignation. I'll volunteer to go start Titans South, that should put his mind at ease. It will be good for me, a fresh start, plus I'll kick the newbie's butts into shape. And I'll still be in the family; we'll see each other, very often."

"Raven, this isn't what I was expecting to happen."

She nodded. "Life can be like that Gar, full of surprises."

She leaned over and pecked him on the cheek. "I'll send your girl over to see you. And will you do me a favor? Help her design a new costume for herself, and also find her a new hero name. I'm still the one and only Raven."

He scratched his chin. "You're right. How about we call her Raptor?"

The sorceress paused as she considered the name. "That sounds familiar for some reason, it could work, though."

-( scene break )-

Raven stood on the Tower's rooftop. Her blue cape billowed in the warm summer breeze and her violet locks fluttered, floating delicately like a soap bubble. She was often described as the "harsh" Titan, but at the moment she sported a soft, sad look as gazed upon the city she had protected for so many years. It was her home, a place she identified with. Starfire, after they returned from their showdown with the Brotherhood of Evil, had described it as "our city".

But now, it no longer felt that way. She was ready to move on, to lead the new Texas based team. Her Spanish was rusty and she made mental note to work on it, as it would come in handy during missions in southern Texas and Mexico, where they would square off against vicious drug cartels, who thought they inspired fear in the hearts of good and decent people.

Wait until they get a load of me, they'll learn a whole new definition for scary.

As she contemplated inspiring fear in the hearts of thugs and gang bangers, she heard roof access door squeak open.

"Raven? Would this be a good time for the girl talk? Beast Boy said that you have volunteered to go to Titans South."

"I see he couldn't for me to announce my move."

The princess took Raven's hand.

"Raven, you should stay. Let Beast Boy and Rachel go to the Titans South. We are your family Raven, why do you wish to leave?"

"A fresh start." Raven mumbled.

"But why?"

Raven turned and looked at her friend

"Memories, too many memories in this place, Starfire. I'll see him in every room, in every corner. Every time that I walk by his room, I'll hear his voice, his happy laugh, even though he's gone. Leaving is the only option."

Starfire shook her head. "I disagree, in fact I believe that you will be making the terrible mistake."

"You do? Why?"

Starfire crossed her arms and looked crestfallen.

"You do remember what happened to you in the future I visited when fighting Warp?"

Raven nodded. "Yes, I do remember. I became mentally ill because I was alone … Starfire, I won't be alone, I will be OK."

"That is the risk I am unwilling to take." The orange Titan harrumphed. "You are too precious to me and your proposition is unacceptable."

Raven turned away from her friend.

"There's nothing you can do to stop me. I'm going to San Antonio. I'm sorry, Starfire, but this is the way it has to be."

"Then I will go with you."

Raven spun around on her heels. "What? You can't be serious. You're engaged to Robin."

"The wedding can be postponed. He will understand and accept my reason."

"Are you sure of that?"

"He has no other choice."

A glare broke out on Raven's face.

"This isn't fair, Starfire. You can't use your relationship with Robin to keep me here!"

"I can and I will … Raven … why are you being the stubborn? Will you not compromise?"

"Compromise? You mean surrender!"

The princess smiled. "Tamaranians are taught the art of war since they are very young."

"Does that include fighting dirty?"

"It especially includes the dirty fighting."

Raven glared even stronger. "Have I ever told you that you suck?"

"No, but I believe that the saying is 'there is a first time for everything', correct?"

Raven harrumphed and walked away. After taking several steps, she stopped.

"Fine, I'll stay, but if I get melancholic, I'm holding you responsible."

Starfire scooped Raven up in one of her pincer like hugs.

-( scene break )-

The doors to the common room slid open and the changeling darted into the Tower's hub, quickly looking around, as if he had lost something. The room appeared to be empty, but there was no fooling his nose … he could smell her. His eyes scanned the room and he found her in the kitchen, hunching down while she put away some of the pots and pans she was unloading from the Dishwasher. She heard him approach and stood up. Her body language screamed that she was anxious.

"You're out of the infirmary." She deadpanned.

"Yeah, Cy just discharged me."

"So you're OK?"

"I'm right as rain."

"Right … that's … good … uh … how did your conversation go?"

The changeling approached his girlfriend.

"Well, we talked about a lot of stuff."

"What kind of stuff?"

"Well … about how we feel about each other … and other things."

Rachel crossed her arms and stared nervously at the floor."

"Gar, how …how do you feel about her?"

"Well … I do love her, Rach."

"I see." She replied in a dejected tone.

"But we also agreed that … we weren't meant for each other."

She looked up at him.

"Garfield … do you really believe that?"

"Yeah, I do."

Rachel gulped, summoning all of her courage.

"Gar, I need to know. I don't want to be a consolation prize just because you and Raven didn't work things out. I need to know that you really do want me, that you want me more than her."

"Rachel, you know that I love you."

"Yes, I do know that. But I want to hear you say that I'm your number one, your true love."

Beast Boy felt a maelstrom of indecision swirl inside him. The last thing he wished to do was lie to Rachel. But there would be serious consequences to telling her the truth. Raven's advice rang in his ears, that under no circumstances should Rachel learn the truth.

"Rach, why are you asking me this? Isn't it enough that I love you?"

A hurt expression crossed her face.

"No, Gar, it's not enough. Maybe if I was real person, it wouldn't matter, but I'm her clone. And if you don't truly love me more than her, then … there's no point in continuing with this farce, because it just proves that I'm nothing more than a copy of her."

"So you're dumping me?" He asked, completely astounded.

Rachel wiped away a tear.

"I'm afraid so … I'm so sorry, Gar, but this is the only honest thing to do, and it's about time that I do something truly honest. I'm going to volunteer for Titans South … I really think we shouldn't see each other anymore."

"I don't believe what I'm hearing! Rach, you can't be serious!"

"Please don't be upset, Gar. I understand Raven's problems, and I think that the two of you eventually work it out over time."

"She doesn't think that! She thinks it's hopeless."

"Give her time, Gar, be patient. But be honest with me and yourself … you want to be with Raven."

The changeling stared into his now ex-girlfriend's eyes. His heart sank as he realized she was right, in his eyes she would always be second best compared to Raven, a substitute. Of course, just because he understood didn't make it any easier.

"So … this is it?"

She nodded. "I'm afraid so, I should be gone by tomorrow."

The changeling turned, holding back his tears, and fled the room, bumping into Robin on his way out. The Teen Wonder approached Rachel, with a disturbed look on his face.

"Is there anything I should know?" He asked.

"Yes, I'm ready to leave for San Antonio tonight. Raven should stay in the Tower."

"What about Beast Boy?"

"He won't be coming."

"Whoa! Why won't he be going with you? Did you guys have a fight or something?"

Rachel paused before answering.

"There was no fight, it was something … worse."

"Worse? Rachel, what are you talking about?"

Rachel walked away without replying. She stopped as the sliding doors opened.

"I dumped him … I should be ready to leave in an hour."

She walked out of the room and the doors swished shut behind her.

-( scene break )-

So, it looks like everyone loses. But … is it possible that Rachel is right? Can Raven and Beast Boy salvage their future?

And now … mailbag time! Sorry about the last two times, but today it's back!

shaylove

I am going to guess that this is the clone and that he's gonna come onto her, but she'll realize it almost immediately...but I am not positive XD

Nope, he's not a clone. That was a popular theory with the readers, though

shadowfreak75

I give up. Every review I send, you skip the mail bag.

Well, this time you scored!

FelynxTiger

asdfghjkl my feels , i can't wirh this, this this cliffhanger , omg *dead*

Well, no cliffie this time. Though you might be feeling numb.

The Reviewer

This Beast boy sound flirty,tooo flrity. HE IS THE CLONE!Damm I would love it if he was the beast...Imagine the beast having his own body finaly!

That would be interesting, if Slade could clone just the Beast

The Cretin

AAAAAAAND THERE YOU GO AGAIN DITCHIN THE MAILBAG!...RIGHT ALONG WITH THE PLANS I SENT YA FOR THE DEATHSTAR! Darth, what AM I gonna do with you!? D8(

I had a feelin you were planning to "unleash" Gar since he was being so quiet. I like your name for the "Gotham Broadcast Network"...its better than mine. My name for it was GNN. Excellent work on the battle. For a minute there the bathroom scene reminded me of the fight between the Warriors and the Punks. Ever seen The Warriors? Awesome film.

Now this is what I've been waiting for. BB and Rae...and this issue. Can't wait to read what's next. Keep rockin

Everything is up in the air now. Rachel drew a line in the sand and BB didn't cross it.

GreennaveyblueRaven

Hmm what does he want to talk slade got a good on the no mailbag?

I don't know what to think. I'm beginning to wonder if you guys like the mailbag more than the story itself.

Hairul The Nightrage Beast

Ok, now I'm getting where Slade's going at, he's going to make clones of the Titans and then make em his own personal Titan army and Raven was just the beginning with Rachel although Rachel defected and went with the Titans.

Very observant. Possible sequel material.

Katwizzle

I cant wait to see what they talk about and how it goes! I cant wait for the next chapter!

I guess it didn't go very well, I do wonder how Raven will react when she learns that Rachel dumped BB.

Rosalind du Coudray

Geez! You really like the cliffies, huh? Please oh please...oh please...oh pleeeeease! BBxRae? Mayhaps?

C'mon! Don't leave us hanging! We all love this story! 3

Well, at this point BB has Bupkis. Should I have Terra come back and catch him on the rebound? It would be funny to have Terra fight both Rachel and Raven

Jason9000

Hm...why do i get the feeling Slade may be trying to make a clone of both Raven and Beast Boy?

Did you see the short where Mother Mae I and Mumbo almost get married (it was a musical) and at the end Slade shows up and complains that he doesn't get to sing? Slade can be frustrated at times, probably why he makes clones now.

SladeRavenFan

Is this Beast Boy a clone? And Wintergreen's behind him, controlling what it says? Coz that'd be weird, but it's suspicious BB's not been so loud.

Nope, it was just good old BB

MelonLord28

Hell yes, original stupid clone knock off butt face.

Yeah I said it. Lol, I wonder what he'll say

Poor BB, he's kind of speechless righ now.

bluedog197

OMG slade's gonna make clones of them this is crazy. but i love the fight scene hahahahah poor bb he's being passed to one another like a prize now that's priceless. good story but i hate those words of i want to talk about us it goes all down hill after that. AWESOME STORY ... bluedog197 out

Looks like there isn't much for BB to talk about anymore. Should I bring Terra back?

Curse you Perry the Platypus

What the poop! Raven tones down a lot, but it still seems weird because that isn't how you written her. Their cloning the Teen Titans.

Sounds like Slade wants his own Titans, though that might have to wait for a sequel

gabylokita41

Hehe things just got juicy . im enjoying this story a lot its awesomely awesome haha i wanna know what gar has to say about everything itll be the first time he actually says anything, and i wonder whats slades planing hahah great chap :)

Poor BB, he got dumped twice in less than an hour. Should I bring Terra into the fold?

Avandra the Mary Sue Slayer

Do you have all chapters (or at least some) written or are you updating each one once it's done? Because you do it pretty damn fast, not that I'm complaining! It's just surprising to see the eye you have for detail even when writing at such a pace, one would think that quality tends to decrease when it takes you too little to write something, but it clearly hasn't to be that way. My kudos!

Thanks! Though at times I miss some big stuff when I proof.

About the chapter, I'm glad that Beast Boy has decided to speak up... just when Slade's making new clones, probably made to be loyal to the villain, unlike Rachel! I must say that I'm a bit nervous too about what BB will decide. Just don't tell them to share you, boy, or they'll kill you!

Well, he decided, but he didn't get what her bargained for.

Dragonkyng

Ahhh... You frustrate me Force!

Being frustrating is my specialty!