Long Road to Ruin

Off Guard

"Uncle Ray!" A bouncing ball of energy darted from behind Malchior and snapped me out of my trance when the ball of energy literally jumped into X's arms and giggled when X nearly lost his balance. The child, I assumed to be the six-year-old Carmen wrapped her arms around X and hugged him tightly, "Mmmm! I missed you! Thank you for coming to my party!"

He tried to play along by training his expression so not to alarm the child with a playful smirk, "Yeah, wouldn't dare miss it kid."

She pouted, "Then why did you miss my last birthday?"

I blinked when my peripheral caught the attention of Malchior casually strolling by us with his right hand tucked into his pants pocket and his hair pulled back into a loose dragon-tail. He never spared me a second glance, nothing, no form of acknowledgement whatsoever … I wasn't insulted, or hurt, I was still trying to get over the fact that after a year an a half ago we meet again, face to face. It felt strange, and though I know I don't love him, I felt happy just to see that he was still alive and well. With a deep breath and an even heavier exhale I let my shoulders finally relax and I recollected myself with a shake of my head.

I probably really scared X's family with my sensitivity to the supernatural, I had to get a hold of myself before I freaked them out any further and Orion, the brother I deduced was the no-nonsense no-bullshit type, lost his trust in me. I could already sense his suspicions and doubts, hell, while I stood beside X still entertaining Carmen I saw his dark amber eyes glaring at X, probably asking him what the hell was going on. It was either that, or he was blaming X for bringing more harm to the family. He already plainly disliked Malchior, if he knew I was a half-bred demon and Raven of the Teen Titans I bet my soul that all he'd see was the fact that I was a half-breed.

Close-minded.

Not exactly the type I'd fine running in X's pack, but there he sat and there was nothing I could do about it. Through the corner of my eye I glanced at X when I felt him look at me inquisitively over Carmen's head after he set her down and sent her to the table, he then straightened up with his hands in his pocket and with a shrug he asked, "You alright?"

I nodded, "I am, sorry for the scare."

He stood closer to me and in a lower tone so no one else could pick it up said, "I knew seeing Mal again would shock you, didn't think it do this to you."

I looked at him with a dry expression, "Shock wouldn't exactly be the word I'd use … more like …" I paused to trail my eyes to the dragon who I knew could hear every word we were saying despite having a pleasant conversation with the concerned Jeremiah who with the rest of his family were still giving me weary looks, I sighed, "… caught off guard."

He smirked handsomely and teased, "So you back on guard sunshine?"

I scoffed, "What's the use if all you're going to do is try to break it down again."

"Nah," he chuckled, "I'd never try to do that … however I will admit, seeing you 'off guard' is funny as hell … and cute."

He added that last part while he was walking away from me and I wasn't able to see the expression on his face while I stood still for a moment to paint the big picture in my head. Here I was in the middle of the park with X's family celebrating a birthday for a six-year-old with Malchior and a beanie-baby in my pocket. Yeah … try to find the one thing that doesn't belong. I gritted my teeth, held myself together and followed in step after X to see what was going on and to let the family know I was alright … but I think that was a strong word to use. I wasn't alright … I wasn't entirely fine either … I was numb? I don't know, but Malchior's presences was no help … every time I stood by him a current of electricity jolted my entire body and it took everything in my power not to jump in shock.

Not to mention it was hard for me to look him directly in the eye whenever I felt him looking at me from across the way. Stop being weird or someone is going to notice! So far no one in the family, other than X, knew I had any relation to Malchior and I would like to keep it that way. It would be awkward for anyone to know that though I was friends with X for now, I had actually slept with his roommate a year or so ago. I don't know, the ring wasn't too melodic for me, so I figured keeping it a secret would be good for all of us.

So as best as I could, I tried to remain leveled and collected throughout the rest of the party straight up to the singing of Happy Birthday to Carmen and the slicing of the cake that was then passed around for everyone to share. Annabel handed me a slice and I thanked her as I took a courtesy bite and again swept my gaze around the party to then notice something I should have noticed a long time ago. There were no kids at a little girl's birthday party. Only Anthony and Nathan, but they were too young to play hide-and-seek with.

I stood by Annabel as she continued to hand out the cake and decided to inquire on the lack of children just to distract myself, "If you don't mind my asking, but, why isn't there any more kids here?"

Annabel giggled as she passed the brooding Orion his and Kayla's slice of cake and said, "Well, that's because I gave my girl an ultimatum. Its either have a party with just her family and then be able to go have all the fun in the world at The Pier tomorrow, or have a party with all her friends and skip out on the Pier. Right Carrie?"

Carmen, with a mouth full of cake and her cheek stained with frosting nodded vigorously. Annabel chastised her while she wiped the frosting off with a napkin, "Carrie, stop feeding your face, and stop playing with your food."

The little girl giggled and after she chewed and swallowed she hugged her mother and told her, "I love you mommy, with all my heart."

Annabel scooped her up in her arms and spun her around, "Ooo! I love you too my little punk!"

Touching, very heart-warming, I looked away and stuffed my mouth with a fork full of cake to keep myself from rolling my eyes. I pulled the fork from my mouth and began to chew as I noticed Vincent in my peripheral started to toss something up and down in his hand. It was a football and with a devious smirk he announced aloud, "Any one up for a game?"

Like a crack addicted cat (I blame the cake, it had way too much sugar in it) X hopped over the table (ignoring Nadine's protests) and snatched the ball from his brother's hands, "You're so on!"

Vincent ran after him while Jeremiah scowled with his nose in his tome obviously cursing his brothers' childishness to the darkest depths of Hell. Orion grumbled in his breath about being adopted and it made Kayla giggle as she placed a gentle hand on his and with a single loving look I could feel her pleading with him to enjoy himself. I watched them closely, fascinated with how deep their feelings for each other went and how impossibly entwined their auras were with one another. It was like a jumbled mess of strings and ribbons that chaotically danced in such a harmonic rhythm it seemed as if they were in perfect sync … like they were two souls in one.

Isn't that called soul-mates or something?

I shook my head and scoffed at myself as I took another bite of my cake, Soul-mates … yeah, right … through the corner of my eye I noticed Nadine sit beside Kayla while Orion stood up and jogged into the clearing to play with his brothers. Vincent had reared back to toss the ball at X, but cried out when Orion tackled him and swiped the ball from him, X stood in the distance cheering on Orion as the two eldest wrestled for control.

"Go on Uncle Miah," I glanced over my shoulder to see Carmen tugging on Jeremiah's shirt, trying to pull him on his feet to play with the rest of her uncles. Jeremiah scowled at her and swatted her hand from him.

"Quit it Carrie, I'm not playing, it's a mindless barbaric sport that holds no intellectual challenge whatsoever. In fact," he closed his book and patted the pouting Carmen on her head, and with as sweet a smile as he could muster said, "take it from me Carmen; your uncles are all idiots, except for me."

Faster than lightning Annabel snatched Jeremiah's book from his hand and smacked the back of his head with it, he yelped while she shook his book at him and scolded, "Reading may be good for you, but you have a sick obsession with these old useless things, now shut up and go play with them! You need to be kicked around every now and then Miah, it's good for you."

Jeremiah growled, "Said the sadistic older sister with malicious intent."

Annabel eyed him challengingly when Jeremiah matched her look with a glare of defiance that was diverted when a hand was placed on his shoulder; he looked down at the hand that was attached to none other than Malchior. I quickly took another bite of my cake to keep from saying anything and to focus my energy on not focusing on the dragon while I watched said dragon gesture to the field, "You can always prove your brothers wrong."

Jeremiah stared at him for a moment in thought, then smirked a smirk worthy of his older brothers and as his gaze shifted to the field, I narrowed my eyes and blinked in bewilderment when I thought I saw his dark-brown eyes turn yellow-gold. I lowered my plate and kept my eyes on him as he stood up and went to join his family in their little game. The moment he got in range of his brothers a gust of wind swirled outward from him and spread throughout the field. I had to turn around and set my piece of cake on the table in order to keep my hair from tangling all over my face.

When it was all over, I sighed and spun around when I heard Nadine complain, "Oh, Jesus Miah! Ya think you could tone it down a bit! Trying to eat here!"

Carmen, and Anthony both laughed and cheered in amusement, Carmen in particular shouted, "YAY!! GO Uncle Miah!!"

My jaw hit the floor when I saw Jeremiah encased in a bright red ball of pure raw energy that extended from within his being, but only I could see it, only I could feel it with my empathetic abilities. My only question now was where and how the hell did he pull so much energy practically out of thin air when I could sense nothing suspicious about him! The only explanation I could come up with had to deal with Malchior. No longer concerned with how to act around him I turned to the dragon who stared on in silent smugness and glanced at me when he sensed my confusion.

Discreetly he shrugged and since he was near me he said quietly, "I had nothing to do with that, he's been practicing magic far longer than I've been around."

I frowned, "But you've been teaching him more since then haven't you?"

Malchior shrugged, "I have not the patience to deal with his like … he's too arrogant to listen to what I have to say, unlike you." He paused to look down on me with a barely visible smirk on his handsome face and deep crimson red eyes. He chuckled and blinked away from me to see X and Vincent form a team against Orion and Jeremiah, but his attention was far from them as he sighed and whispered almost wistfully that sent an inviting chill down my spine, "You're good enough to be considered perfect."

I gulped and blinked away from him to make sure I still had control over my senses when I said, "I don't do flattery."

He chuckled again, "I know," he then leaned down to me and with a finger of his hooked under my chin he pulled the side of my face closer to his to whisper in my ear and lean his forehead against the side of my head, "Flattery doesn't suit you … so what are you doing here?"

He let my chin go as I turned my head to face him, yet he still didn't pull away and with our foreheads pressed together I lost all censorship and said the first thing that came to my lips so softly I was sure he didn't hear me, "I wanted to see you again."

"Did you now …" he responded then pulled away and stared me down with such a dark expression I was pretty sure he mentally cursed me to the ninth circle of Hell to suffer as Lucifer's chew toy. He even bared his fangs when he growled, "You're very cruel Raven … very cruel indeed."

Again my censorship failed me and I ended up saying the last thing I should have, because I knew I didn't mean it, "I'm sorry."

His growl turned into a snarl so faint and soft only I was able to hear it and when I did I couldn't help to flinch at the ferocity hidden behind it as his crimson eyes bore gaping holes into my soul and I stood there without objection. Did I deserve this? I don't know, some part of me thought I did … some part of me thought I didn't … some part of me just didn't know what to think. After all, he had a point, I was being cruel … I was the one who told him to leave and to never see me again, I told him to forget about me, and I even threatened to sic my team on him if he should so much as contact me. I pushed him away and now here I was with X rubbing it in his face and ignoring his existence as if everything that had ever transpired between us meant nothing.

It didn't mean anything.

It didn't … I know it didn't … I know … I knew it shouldn't … why was I doubting myself now?

"YO! Heads up!" I looked up, but a little too late, the football one of the Fox brothers had thrown was coming straight at me, I didn't react fast enough to catch or block it so I flinched and waited for impact. However, Malchior caught the ball before it ever touched me and I blinked up at him as he turned to the others and tossed the ball back at Vincent. Vincent smirked and thanked him with a node of his head, but then shouted, "You guys wanna play?"

On the side I heard Orion complain, but he was ignored by everyone else. I on the other hand shook my head and announced, "No thanks."

I waited for Malchior to say anything, but he didn't, as a matter of fact now that I glanced in his general direction I was shocked to see he was gone. He just, vanished; I whipped my head back and forth to scan the entire field in search of the dragon, perhaps he went to play? No, he wasn't with the Foxes, yet he wasn't anywhere near the table either. So where – then my peripheral caught a glimpse of his black hair disappearing into the bushes away from the party, tempted to follow him I paused when I sensed Carmen beside me. I looked down in time to see her tentatively grab my pants leg and tugged softly to ask curiously, "Do you like Uncle Scales?"

I could have cracked up laughing at Malchior's title for this little girl if I wasn't so focused on the dragon to begin with. So it took a moment for me to process her question before I muttered, "It's complicated."

"How so? You two met before?" Annabel suddenly spoke up, eyeing me suspiciously while she helped Nadine feed the two babies. Her brown eyes stared me down with a cold glare, I knew she obviously did not like how I arrived here with X, but seemed to be so into Malchior. I wasn't stupid, I knew they saw how we interacted and it was the last thing I wanted them to see, but they saw, and now I had to deal with all of them thinking ill of me. Which was strange since I usually don't care what others thought of me, why did X's family matter?

I tucked that question for later inquire, for now I sighed heavily and stepped aside from Carmen to follow Malchior after I answered Annabel's inquisition, "We fought each other twice before …"

I left it at that and darted into the bush after Malchior, Annabel can draw up her own conclusion, I just … I don't know why I was following him, I just needed to talk to him I guess. Rummaging through the leaves and the branches I stepped out into a clearing full of park-goers and dog-walkers, I stumbled onto a path and nearly ran into a pair of bikers who had to swerve to dodge me. One of them shouted at me angrily, but I ignored him as I crossed the bike-path and into the clearing still looking for Malchior only to find him slowly strolling across the grass with his hands in his pocket and his head bowed as if he were looking for something in the ground.

I took a step towards him, and as if he heard the grass bend under my weight, or smelt my approach through the wind carrying my sent he stopped dead and looked at me. His crimson red eyes beautifully shining the color of a ruby-jewel under the sunlight, very similar to how X's golden eyes shined with the right angle of light, like rare treasures. I stayed perfectly still, not sure if I should go to him, I still didn't know what to say, or why I wanted to speak with him to begin with. I just felt like I owed him something, something other than an empty apology that I obviously didn't mean back at the party.

Did he want me around?

He made no attempt to beckon me to him, but neither did he attempt to shoo me away either.

What felt like hours we stood at a stalemate, turned out to only be a few seconds before he finally looked away from me, but he didn't move an inch from his spot in the clearing. I bit down on my lower lip and approached him, I figured if he didn't want me around he'd have chased me away eons ago. So I'll play it by sense, if I felt things were going wrong I'll leave him be, otherwise I wanted to know what's been going on with him. Was that it? I was just curious about what he's been doing all these months? I just wanted to know if he's gotten along all right? Was that just it?

I guess it was.

Before long I finally found myself standing beside him, but with considerable distance between us, with my hands in tight fists at my side I tried not to fidget nervously when he looked up from the grass and glanced around the park. Yet, he didn't care, I know he didn't care, I could feel his utter distaste and disinterest for his surroundings when he was more interested in me, unfortunately. He just seemed to be distracting himself, I wonder why, so without thinking (I seem to be doing that a lot lately), I asked, "Why are you standing here?"

"There are people here." Simple, straight to the point, no wonder he and X got a long just great, but it wasn't enough, as a matter of fact it confused me.

"… People?"

He then swung his head around to stare me down, I blinked and nearly couldn't hold his intense gaze, it gave me a run for my money that's for sure, but I managed, and he replied, "Witnesses my dear …"

Witnesses …? I thought, still slightly confused, and I glanced around the park to see for myself what he meant by witnesses. There was no one watching us, in fact no one cared about us, but there were a lot of people … children with their parents playing catch, couples having a picnic, families biking through the path, kids hanging-out, security-guards on horses. There were a lot of people, a lot of people that didn't care … so what did he mean by – I stopped myself when I realized just what he was doing. My gaze swung back to the security-guards idly chatting about nothing and laughing at some stupid joke that was probably something only they knew about and I gulped.

Witnesses, people who didn't care about who or what we were, but people who were law-biding citizens that would grow concerned if something seemed out of the ordinary. X's family … they were a family that seemed to keep everything to themselves. Involving authorities would be the last thing they'd do if this little discussion Malchior and I were having went wrong, looking up at the dragon and staring into his narrowed crimson-eyes I nodded in understanding. Whether he was doing this more for himself or to protect me (that thought was a long shot), I knew I was still walking on eggshells either way.

I frowned, "I see, self-control was never one of your strong points, was it?"

He slowly blinked his crimson eyes away from me and with a chuckle he walked away, and I followed in step as he lead me through the park full of people, full of witnesses while I listened to his reply, "You would know me better than most …"

I responded in kind, not exactly knowing where all this was going, but going along with it for now, "I suppose."

"How long has it been?"

"…"

He glanced at me when I didn't reply and arched a brow in question, "Raven?"

I sighed, "A year plus … give or take a month or two …"

"Ah, does not feel so."

"Immortality can do that to you. Life ends in the blink of an eye."

He nodded, "True, but what makes you think I'm immortal? I live long, yes, but I am no more immortal than you."

I was going to let this play out and didn't say anything.

He want on, as predicted, "I am born of Earth and Fire, nature and reason deems my death absolute, I will die to become once again apart of the Earth so why would you call me immortal? Unless you depicted me as a powerful being equal to that of a God… am I your God?"

I rolled my eyes, Even after all these months he still loves to hear himself talk … "Don't flatter yourself."

"Wouldn't dream," he said with a chuckle while we still walked aimlessly around the park, however, I neglected to notice we strayed from our witnesses into another nearly isolated area of the park close to a pond.

I should have paid attention, but since I didn't I went on a head to say with a sneer, "Your mood seems to have lightened."

I took another step towards the pond and towards a group of kids who were racing boats, back into the view of our witnesses, but he gently wrapped his fingers around my elbow and pulled me back. It wasn't forceful, or threatening, but when he swung me around and pinned me against the nearby artificially planted boulder and trapped me within his makeshift cage with his palms placed flat on the boulder on either side of me I knew I wasn't going anywhere. He may not have used force, but the intimidation and the tension was there, especially when he pressed his forehead against mine again. I made sure not to move a single muscle as he growled, "The term mood is relative, Raven, why don't you try to be a little more specific … tell me … what am I feeling right now."

I gulped when my empathetic powers kicked in and I was flooded with his assaulting emotions running rampant, all of them strong and overpowering, but the one that stood out I whispered, "… Frustration."

He scoffed and bared his fangs as he pressed his forehead harder against me to emphasize his point, "Think less human and more primal."

I tumbled that powerful emotion of frustration around my head for a few moments, played with it, toyed with it, trembled at how powerful the feeling was and gulped when I reached a stunning conclusion, "… Starving …"

"Yes, I may not be immortal, but I am no human, I do not change moods on a whim and I do not take life for granted, so do not take my mood so lightly. Assumptions are what brought you here to begin with, so you should do well not to assume what could very well earn you your death."

I scowled, "In saying that you've contradicted yourself, apparently, I don't know you as well as you thought I did."

"Then allow for the contradiction to stand in place of my earlier statement and thus ultimately prove me right." He sighed and bowed his head from me to stare at nothing while he shifted his stance, but never freed me from his cage as he said, "Long road to ruin, love. We can argue over who knows what and by what degree all day to eternity, but the point is …" he paused and I again held perfectly still when he brought a hand up to lightly brush the tips of his fingers down the side of my face over the flesh of my neck. I shuddered at the touch, and bit down on my lower lip when the memory of what this hand had done to me and made me do began to replay itself over and over again in my head against my will.

My breathing quickened when in his eyes I saw he was going over the exact same thing in his mind as he trailed his hand down from my neck to my chest to press his palm flat over my heart to feel my heartbeat. He concentrated on it, his crimson eyes flashed in fascination when he felt its increase in speed and suddenly it felt like we just weren't close enough. Even though, to any onlooker (if anyone were to find us that is) we looked close enough to look like we are engaged in lewd and inappropriate behavior. His breath mingled with mine as his lips hovered an aching inch from my lips; he wasn't hesitant … and neither was I … we both wanted it; we wanted it so bad that it hurt.

His hand on my heart trailed down between the valley of my breasts and I felt the tips of his talons graze over my abdomen just before his large hand circled around my waist and he pulled me so I was flushed against his rock-solid body. I welcomed the warmth; he felt so familiar … so hot … so inhuman the demon in me liked it and wanted so much more, then in a low growl that sounded almost like he was begging me permission he said, "… I've missed you so much …"

Reality came crashing down on me, and the realization of the overall impact of our actions would be if I allowed this to continue on made my heart sink.

Damn it all …

I prayed he wouldn't have said that.

I didn't want him to.

"Malchior …" I shook my head and put a hand on his chest to push him away, the first form of resistance that snapped him out of his desire to have me once more and his eyes hardened when he met my stern violet gaze, "… don't."

Whether it be my resistance, or the sureness in my eyes, his low growl deepened and the hand on my waist slid off to once again aid in trapping me in his cage and I pulled my hand from him as he again shifted his stance to tower over me as he said, "Why not? Why must I be alienated from you while Drake Fox can't be away from you for more than a day?"

Damn, I knew he was going to go there.

I knew, yet I still had no response to it, simply because I still didn't know why myself.

I've been trying to figure that out for the passed six months, and though I've discovered so much of him and he of me, I seem to be drifting further away from the answers while I accumulated more questions. I really did want to answer Malchior, I really did, but what was I going to say? 'I don't know.'? Yeah, that'll satisfy him … I owed him an answer … and it killed me to know I didn't have any to give.

With a frustrated huff I opened my mouth in response, but as my eyes happened to glance over his shoulder I stilled and shut my mouth when I spotted the last person I expected to see around here without her boyfriend. Her familiar blond-hair wafted in the breeze, and her dark navy-blue eyes stared in wide-eyed shock while her mouth fell to represent the distinct shape of an 'O'. Malchior, upon noticing my distraction looked over his shoulder in time to see Terra jump and hide behind a nearby tree in embarrassment or disbelief, either which didn't matter to me in the least.

I bowed my head, and closed my eyes while I muttered softly in frustration, "Great … now how am I suppose to explain this?"

"Friend of yours then?"

I nodded no use in hiding it, "She's Terra, the geomancer I've told you about."

"So I see."

I sensed his hesitation and I looked up at him to reassure him, why? I don't know, but I did, "You're safe, she doesn't know about you … but if she's here without Beast Boy could only mean I have to go."

He tilted his head to the side and blinked and under different circumstances I would have thought it was cute to see him perplexed (how often do I see Malchior perplexed: never), "You sound reluctant about that fact."

"I am …" I slouched my shoulders and leaned against the boulder when I felt the world weigh heavy on my shoulders again, my argument with Robin came rushing back to me, and the discord I felt within myself hit me all at once as I gulped, "… Malchior, I don't … I don't think I ever … want to go ba –"

A finger against my lips silenced me and I looked up at the dragon to see him staring down at me with an odd expression I couldn't determine … it was something akin to worry and disappointment with a dash of hope. I didn't understand it, even his words caught me totally off guard, "Before you finish that sentence you should go and see what she wants first … and then think over your words carefully …"

"…" Speechless.

That's all I was: Speechless.

Did he … did he understand me?

Could he see what I am going through?

I stared at him in awe and confusion while he finally freed me from his cage and stepped aside with a hand held out as a gesture to where Terra was probably still hiding, "Don't want to keep your friend waiting now …"

I owed him something … that's all that kept repeating in my mind.

I owed him something … an explanation? An apology? Reassurance? Closure?

I owed him something … but it wasn't just something, I owed him a lot.

I stepped forward towards Terra, but as I passed him I brushed my hand against his and took it into my grasp, he returned the gesture with a tight grasp of his own while I tipped my head to him and whispered the one thing I suddenly came to realize despite my mental protest. I gulped and finally, I admitted while looking up into his crimson eyes, "I missed you too …"

A slow smug smirk found its way on his lips as he brought my hand up to his lips to press a light kiss on it then said, "I'll let the Foxes know you had to leave early."

He was relieved.

He didn't have to say it, he didn't even have to show me through his aura, I could see it in his eyes, he was relieved to know I haven't completely forgotten about him. I guess … that's what he wanted from me, to know that he wasn't forgotten. With that he let my hand go and when I turned to confront Terra I felt him vanish from existence, I sighed heavily and ran my hand through my hair in thought, What happens now …?

--

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans, DC does, Vincent, Nadine, Orion, Kayla, Annabel, Jeremiah, Anthony, Nathan, Carmen, and the name Drake Fox belong to ME, not M.E., ME not YOU, ME, lol …

A/N: Hot-damn I had hella fun writing this chapter … too much fun mi thinks … o.O … oh well … G.A.S.P. GASP!! Dun, dun, dun … Terra … go figure she'd be the one to ruin all the fun XDD. Well, see yall in the next chapter, comment, questions, reviews, feedback all welcome until then.

L8er daez!