Okay, I'm excited. We're getting to the scenes now that made me want to write this whole story. Enjoy, and as always, thank you all so much for reading and leaving such nice replies!

Lilith looked around the saferoom, taking in the sturdy metal walls and glowing sigils. "This is…charming for a room you use to lock yourself up."

"I've only needed it once," Raven said, casting a tendril of dark energy over each wall, testing for gaps in the wards that had been placed. "When Trigon's minions were coming to make me fulfill the prophecy."

Lilith glanced over. "So it doesn't work?"

"It never actually got tested." Raven began probing magically at the ceiling, satisfied to see a blue wall of energy meet her powers every time. "He used his connection with my mind to manipulate me into coming out on my own. But the concept is sound. The others designed the room well and I've added my own spells so it should be able to contain as well as repel."

"Cool. Hopefully it will get to remain untested. I'll be right here too. If things start looking unstable, I'll help you shut it down."

"You'd be wiser to be up there with the others." Raven nodded to the window of the observation room.

"Maybe, but when it comes to inducing emotions, I think the personal touch is better. Besides," she grinned teasingly, "daughter of the eighth devil or not, I think I'm demigoddess enough to take you."

Raven didn't rise to the bait, just shifting her focus to testing the floor. "I hope you're right."

OOO

"I'm starting to think this is a bad idea." Cyborg adjusted the computer displays for the third time. "Provoking Raven to show emotions doesn't usually end well."

"We have always respected Raven's privacy in the past," Starfire said, watching Raven scan the corners and seams of the saferoom. She glanced at Beast Boy. "Well, most of us. But Lilith may be correct. Although we trusted Raven to know what she needed, perhaps leaving her alone did more harm than good."

Beast Boy leaned over the back of a chair. "Sometimes you need somebody to shake things up."

Robin stood beside Starfire, eyes on the room below. "I hope we're right."

OOO

Raven finished checking the edge of the door and let the dark energy fade away.

"Everything check out?" Lilith asked.

"As far as the normal extent of my abilities goes, yes."

The girls turned to look up at the observation window. "We're all set down here," Lilith called.

"We're good here too," Cyborg answered. "Raven, I'll be keeping an eye on your vitals and the structural integrity of the walls the whole time. Anything else you want me to do?"

"Just stay out of the room," she said flatly.

In spite of himself, Cyborg smiled. "Don't worry, we all know that rule."

"Guess we're ready then," Lilith gave them a thumbs-up, then turned her attention completely to Raven. "I figured, since you're already comfortable with the technique, we would do this as a guided meditation."

"All right." Raven folded her legs in the air under her and settled into the lotus position, closing her eyes and slowing her breath.

"It doesn't have to be deep," Lilith said, voice softening into a soothing rhythm. "Probably don't even have to go all the way to Nevermore."

"It's not called that," Raven muttered.

"It should be," Beast Boy's voice came over the PA, followed by a scuffling sound as he was shoved away from the microphone.

"From here out, I need no distractions unless it's life or death," Lilith said firmly, pointing at the booth. She calmed her presence again, resuming the soothing tone of voice. "So, let yourself relax into a meditative state, but stay shallow enough that you can still hear me. Ignore the rest of the world, ignore why we're doing this exercise. There's just you and me and peace."

Lilith stood near Raven, letting her own breathing and energy slow into a relaxed state to help establish the rhythm. For a few moments, they simply breathed in unison as calm filled the room.

"Can you hear me, Raven?" Lilith asked softly.

"Yes."

"Okay. We're going to start with simple, pleasant emotions. I want you to focus on just the happier ones right now. Leave any negativity for another time. It has no place here right now. We'll start with invoking one particular emotion, then seeing how far you can let yourself experience it without your powers becoming a strain to control."

Lilith began pacing a quiet circle around Raven. "Let's begin with something straightforward: happiness."

"What kind?"

Lilith paused. "What?"

"Happiness is a vague term," Raven said, eyes still closed. "Do you want me to feel serene? Content? Pleased?"

"No! I already know you can feel those safely. Scale it up a bit. I want you to reach. Think about something that makes you feel total, carefree, absolute happiness!"

Raven opened one eye, brow arched in a nonverbal 'Seriously?'

"When our powers were switched, Raven was unable to summon enough joy to take flight," Starfire whispered in the booth. "I wonder if she has ever been able to experience that emotion?"

Lilith waved off Raven's wry stare. "Fine, whatever your equivalent is."

"If I ever felt something like that, it was so long ago I don't remember," she said, closing her eye again.

"Well, just try to reach for the happiest you have felt. When was the last time you laughed? Not just a little chuckle, but an honest, spontaneous laugh?"

Beast Boy snorted and muttered, "Yeah, good luck with that."

Raven was silent for a long moment.

"It doesn't have to be the last time," Lilith prompted, "just any time you've felt that sensation."

"I'm trying."

Lilith's face fell slightly. "That long?"

"I'm not sure I ever have." She scowled at the flare in Lilith's emotions. "If you start pitying me again, I'm done here."

"Right. Sorry. Unprofessional." Lilith paced away, thinking. She glanced up at the observation window and a smile formed on her lips. "Let's try something else."

She turned back to Raven with fresh authority. "I want you to think about your friends."

Raven's brow furrowed in confusion. "What about my friends?"

"How they make you feel. You seem like a very close-knit team."

"They're my family," Raven agreed.

"I can tell. You all clearly enjoy each other's company, you've got each other's backs in a fight. All the victories you've celebrated together, the tough times you've helped each other through. Holidays, meals, quiet evenings watching TV. And it's obvious how much they care about you. Your boys have made several subtle hints what will happen to me if I upset you. In a nice way," she added as Raven's head rose slightly in shock. "They're just being brothers. The fact that they've respected your privacy this long says a lot, but ultimately they broke even that promise to themselves because they wanted to help you find a way to be happier. They know what you've gone through, what you struggle with. They even know about your past, but instead of run when they found out, they stood by you. They embraced you because you're part of their family and they love you for who you are."

Lilith paused her circling and crouched in front of Raven. "And although you think you don't show it enough, they know you love them too."

Raven's breath hitched in a sudden gasp, making her friends jump.

"There it is!" Lilith said, like a cat swiping at a fish just below the water's surface. "Hold onto that, Raven. Let yourself feel that. Don't bury it." She stopped, frowning. "These are supposed to be positive feelings. Why are you conflicted?"

"I don't deserve it," Raven rasped through the constriction in her throat, heaving a shaky breath. "I don't deserve them."

"X'hal," Starfire murmured, squeezing Robin's hand.

"Stop that," Lilith commanded firmly. "That's Shame talking. It has no business being mixed with your feelings about your friends. Separate it and put it away. If you can't convince yourself that you're worthy of their love, then at least respect your friends enough to accept their opinion. Can you do that for me? Put aside the negative and focus on the good feelings."

Raven shook her head, eyes scrunched shut as she breathed through gritted teeth. "I can't. It's too much…"

"Rob, she's getting really stressed," Cyborg said, looking up from the display of Raven's vital signs. "I think we should pull her out."

"Hang on," Robin said, watching intently.

"It's not too much, Raven," Lilith said in a gentler tone. "You're fine. Your powers are fine. I won't let anything happen."

Dark energy crackled along the spells in the wall as if in defiance.

"That's Fear," Lilith persisted. "Put it away. The only thing you should be feeling right now is your love for your friends. Everything else is irrelevant. Focus on that one emotion. Let it fill you. Let that warmth push everything else out of your mind. No distractions. No worries. Just let it in."

Raven sucked in a shaky breath, fists clenched against the emotion. She forced the breath out smoothly, then repeated the motion several more times. Slowly, the tension in her face eased slightly and the muscles squeezing her eyes shut smoothed out a bit. She let out a breath that sounded like a relieved sob, a few tears escaping the edges of her eyes to stream unheeded down her cheek.

"Dude, she's crying," Beast Boy said nervously. "This can't be good."

"No." Robin smiled slightly. "I think this is release."

Below, Raven's breathing had evened out, her hands relaxing back into their traditional meditation pose on her knees. As the fight receded from her body, a foreign look of serenity took its place. Her lips drifted up in a small, but utterly natural smile that would have been enough to have her friends marveling at the transformation. But then they realized that along with the smile, a faint white glow was beginning to emanate around her.

Lilith took a step back, watching the light warily as Cyborg checked the readouts on his screens. However, the energy only spread until it formed a warm, pulsing aura around her, then went no farther. The spells on the walls remained inert, undisturbed.

Oblivious to the glow, Raven floated in tranquil peace.

With a grin of her own forming across her face, Lilith looked up at the observation window, eyebrows arched.

"I'll be damned," Cyborg murmured.

"Oh, it is most beautiful!" Starfire had to hold herself down from flying, keeping her enthusiasm quiet enough to avoid distraction.

"She did it," Robin whispered. "She actually did it."

Beast Boy simply gazed in fascinated awe, for once not feeling the need to comment.

Down in the room below, Lilith walked quietly to a corner and sat down with her back against the wall, settling in to keep a silent vigil.

"Her energy levels are completely stable," Cyborg said, watching the readouts. He shook his head. "This might actually work."

"I do hope so," Starfire agreed. "Do we interrupt them now?"

"I'd wait and see what Lilith does." Robin nodded to where the visiting Titan lounged patiently in the corner. "I don't know if it's safe to surprise Raven right now."

Lilith simply watched for a further ten minutes. In that entire time, Raven didn't move, simply hovering with the gently pulsing light around her. Finally, Lilith stood and walked back to the middle of the room.

"Raven?" she called softly.

Raven's eyes shot open and she gasped as her consciousness returned abruptly to the outside world. The light instantly vanished and she dropped back onto her feet, wrapping her cloak tightly around herself. Energy rolled across the walls like a shockwave.

"It's okay! You're all right," Lilith soothed as the momentary panic faded from Raven's face.

Raven caught her breath, eyes still slightly alarmed. "Sorry."

"Don't worry. I'm sure it's a little jarring coming out of that."

Raven shifted, cloak still pulled protectively tight. "How long was I under?"

"About fifteen minutes."

Raven's head whipped toward Lilith. "Fifteen minutes?!"

"You seemed like you were in a really good place. I thought I'd let you enjoy it for a while. I was here keeping an eye on everything. You did great."

"Nothing happened?"

"Nope." Lilith gestured to the undamaged room around them. "Fifteen minutes of fully experiencing an emotion and your powers were completely under control. I mean, you glowed a little, but—"

"I what?!" Raven snapped.

"Yeah, that was a surprise to me too." Lilith scratched her head. "You had a white aura of energy around you the whole time. It didn't do anything, though. Your friends can vouch for that."

Raven glanced up suddenly, remembering her friends were there, and her powers raised her hood subconsciously as she felt even more revealed.

"My guess is it's probably just some extra energy discharge," Lilith continued. "It wasn't dark energy and it didn't seem to be destructive, so your powers are more complex than I initially thought. But we can always experiment with that later. I think you've done plenty for today."

Raven just nodded, still a bit shaken by the intense experience.

Lilith put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We'll see whether you ultimately want to do this again or not, but I just have to say, it says a lot in your favor that the emotion you were able to access easiest was love."

With a proud smile, Lilith turned and headed out of the saferoom. Raven stayed where she was for a few moments, centering herself again as she processed the experience. Around her, the magical sigils glowed unchanged, the room unmoved by the enormity of what had just transpired.

OOO

The team decided to take the rest of the evening off, each going their separate ways to occupy themselves. Raven returned to her room to meditate. When the others invited her to dinner later, she took a rain check, insisting she was 'socialed out' for the day and needed to recharge. Cyborg accepted her excuse and, after she promised to come eat a plate of leftovers on her own later, left her alone.

She slept soundly that night after moving her dresser and a bookshelf in front of her door to try to slow down any escapee emotions that might try to venture out. To her relief, she awoke the next morning to seeing nothing destroyed or even amiss in her room, the door still firmly blocked.

Her head clearer and her confidence slightly higher, Raven opted to join her team for breakfast.

Lilith noticed her entrance first, greeting her with a warm grin. "Hey! How you feeling this morning?"

"Not bad. Thanks," Raven said, heading for her kettle.

"Any drama last night?" Cyborg asked.

"I didn't see any damage to my room when I woke up." She looked over sharply. "Why? Did anything happen?"

"No, sounds like it was a quiet night," Robin said, sitting down beside Starfire. There was a certain warmth about them that suggested they had taken advantage of that lack of interruption. Raven blocked her senses toward them before any of those feelings or visuals popped into her head.

"Good. I barricaded my door to make sure nothing could cause trouble."

She turned toward the stove to find Cyborg standing right beside her with his arms crossed, frowning. "So, if anything had happened, we wouldn't have been able to get in to help you either?"

Raven resisted rolling her eyes, but matched him frown for frown. "You have a sonic cannon capable of blowing holes through buildings. I think you would have found a way in if you had to. Besides, my emotions won't hurt me. It's the rest of you that would be at risk."

Cyborg still didn't look happy, but he nodded in acceptance. "All right. Just make sure you tell us if that changes."

Now she did let herself roll her eyes slightly. "We're not kids anymore. You shouldn't worry about me."

Cyborg's face split into a broad grin. "Rave, I don't care if you're seventy and I'm zipping around in the coolest wheelchair in the old Titans home. As long as I'm bigger than you, I'm still going to worry about you."

He tousled her hair, something she would only let him get away with, and headed back to the table. Raven shook her head, turning back to the stove, but was surprised to find she couldn't entirely stop the smile from showing on her face. She did a quick check and was relieved to see she wasn't glowing. Still, she would have to keep in mind that some of her emotions were a bit close to the surface today.

"So, it's a beautiful day out. Any ideas what we should do with it?" Beast boy asked.

"Training," Robin said firmly.

Cyborg and Beast Boy groaned. "But it's the weekend!" Beast Boy protested.

"Crime doesn't take a day off," Robin retorted as Cyborg mouthed along behind his back. "Besides, if Lilith is going to be sticking around a while, we need to start practicing how to incorporate her powers into our combat scenarios."

"Cool." Lilith perked up. "I'll be glad to be able to help out a bit more directly around here. And Raven, any time you want to try testing another emotional range, let me know."

Raven grunted noncommittally as she got out a mug. When she felt a stifled twinge of rejection, she glanced at Lilith and added, "Thanks."

Lilith seemed to take the gesture for what Raven intended it to be and resumed chatting with Robin about her combat abilities.

Raven started tuning the conversation out, thinking back to the exercise with Lilith. She couldn't deny the effectiveness of the technique. While she was used to disappearing into meditation and losing track of time, she had never used that state of mind to simply allow herself to feel pure emotional sensation. That was the opposite of everything she had learned to meditate for. And yet, against everything she thought she knew, her powers had bled off harmlessly the whole time. Maybe it was time to modify her techniques beyond Azar's teaching.

Still, the idea of releasing control that much, especially with the darker impulses that hissed in the recesses of her mind… Her skin crawled with ingrained revulsion.

It must have showed because Beast Boy glanced over as he refilled his cup of soymilk from the fridge. "You okay?" he asked quietly.

"I'm fine." She shook off the troubling thoughts.

"Good. Not that I'm worrying about you," he added, holding his hands up in mock defense. "But you've had a lot going on in your head lately, so figured it was worth checking in when you zone out."

Raven felt warmth moving into her mind to replace the dread. "I was just thinking about the meditation yesterday."

His face lit up. "Dude, that was amazing!" He hesitated, looking nervous. "Was it not good for you?"

She shifted slightly. "It was…intimidating. But more afterward than during."

"Cool." He brightened again. "So, do you think you're gonna keep doing it?"

"Maybe." She looked at him suspiciously. "Why do you care so much?"

He blushed darkly, retreating back into awkwardness. "I don't know. It was just nice to actually see you happy for once. You don't get to feel like that very much and you really deserve it."

She recoiled slightly in surprise, feeling color creep into her own cheeks. Beast Boy rubbed the back of his neck and turned even redder, but before either one could think what to say, they were saved by Robin calling from the table.

"Beast Boy, could you bring the orange juice back with you?"

"Uh, sure thing, boss," he called back, keeping his voice even. He ducked quickly back into the fridge, then hurried off to the table.

Raven watched him go, feeling even more pensive than before. Behind her, her powers unconsciously moved the whistling kettle to a cooler burner.

OOO

The training session turned out to be more fun than expected. The addition of a new person to the mix seemed to bring out the playful side of most of the Titans, much to Robin's frustration as he tried to keep them all focused.

As Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Raven warmed up individually, Robin decided it would be valuable to find out the exact differences between Starfire's starbolts and Lilith's plasma streams. Starfire eagerly agreed, but Raven noticed Lilith hesitating as the course was prepared for them, staring at her hands nervously.

After a quick glance around to make sure the others were busy at their own work, Raven reached out her mind to nudge Lilith's. The girl jumped slightly, but glanced over, curious.

If you believe my powers don't make me evil, then you should have nothing to worry about with yours, she projected.

Lilith smiled slightly, sending a wave of warmth and gratitude back to Raven before turning to focus on the challenge.

As the girls compared their abilities at a variety of scenarios, Lilith began to relax and the exercise turned into a friendly competition as each started to show off for the other. To Raven's amusement, Robin didn't once reprimand them for getting off-point, no matter how over-the-top their displays. She smirked at his rapt, slack-jawed expression and returned her attention to her own practice.

When the girls finally reached a laughing truce and Robin deemed the exercise "enlightening", Cyborg suggested a round of team target practice in the obstacle course to get used to working around each other. Typically, Raven hated target practice since it was more comfortable for her to throw existing objects with her powers than control exactly how much dark energy she could safely release as energy pulses or projectiles. It wasn't that using energy alone was harder; it was that it was too enticingly easy.

So Raven mostly played defensively while her team alternated between firing at the mechanical targets and dodging the shots fired back at them. She wove her shields between her friends as they darted around her, surprised how smoothly the energy flowed out, readily accessible at her command without feeling like a fire ready to flare out of control. She glanced at Lilith, who was trying to use her precognition to give the others heads-up when a hidden cannon was about to fire.

Her considerations were interrupted when Cyborg called her name. "Hey, Rave, cover us! We're gonna try something!"

"All right," she sighed dubiously, bracing herself slightly. Any time Cyborg and Beast Boy teamed up, there were fair odds things were going to get messy or dangerous.

She projected a shield around their sides and back as Beast Boy turned into an armadillo. Cyborg scooped him up, cocking his arm back like a quarterback scanning the field for an opening, and launched the curled-up mammal through the air. Beast Boy sailed toward a cannon that was currently facing Robin, smashing the metal into oblivion. As soon as he hit the wall, Beast Boy turned into a kangaroo, pushing off with strong feet and turning into a falcon in midair as he aimed for another cannon.

Raven felt a momentary panic as she struggled to block the cannon's shots while he hurtled heedlessly toward it. As he neared it, he turned back into an armadillo, smashing that weapon too. He then repeated his rapid transformations, ricocheting off the wall to launch himself toward the next cannon he saw firing. She cursed his cockiness, sailing headlong into danger completely reliant on her to stop the projectiles from hitting him point blank.

He continued this pinball-like assault on the weapons, with Cyborg catching him and setting him off again whenever he lost momentum. Between this and the rest of the team's efforts, they had the entire level cleared in less than fifteen minutes.

Realizing he was approaching the last cannon still in operation, Beast Boy chose to end with a flourish, turning into a rhinoceros in midair to utterly demolish the final target. He slammed into the wall with enough force to make the room shudder and leave a sizeable indentation, but as soon as he dropped to the ground, he morphed back into his usual self, popping up with his eyes dancing.

"DUDE!"

"I cannot believe you just pulled that off!" Cyborg exclaimed, grabbing him up in a victorious bear hug.

"Yes! That was truly amazing!" Starfire enthused.

"Yeah, I'm pretty awesome, aren't I?" Beast Boy perched on Cyborg's shoulder, shining his nails on his shirt. "But I'll admit, it would have been a lot harder without Raven being a quick-draw with her shields."

Still breathing heavily from having to create so many shields so quickly, she sent him a glare. "Next time you plan on doing something that stupid, warn me first."

He grinned back at her with a shrug. "Rave, you don't plan stupid. It just comes to me."

She rolled her eyes, and what she caught out of the edge of her vision filled her with horror. The details came to her in an instant: the wall destabilizing because of Beast Boy's impact site, the two immensely heavy panels separating from the top of the wall and the ceiling, the support strut, catastrophically bent, caving in behind them. All of this occurring directly above an oblivious Cyborg and Beast Boy.

"NO!" she cried, every ounce of will pouring from her to stop what was coming.

The boys flinched as a giant black shield appeared over their heads, but had no more time to think before the metal came crashing down. The panels slammed into the immovable barrier, instantly vaporizing in a fierce crackling of energy. The support strut followed, shearing in half as the section that came in contact with the shield burned away into nothingness.

When the collapse ceased and the debris settled, the shield calmly disappeared, leaving only a fine ash to drift down over Cyborg and Beast Boy. For a moment, the room was frozen in silent shock.

Cyborg found his voice first, wide eye drifting to Raven. "Okay. Guess I don't have to worry about you so much."

"Nice one, Raven," Robin managed as they all stared at the girl who hadn't moved, hand still extended, gaping at the area the shield had been.

"Yeah," Beast Boy breathed, a bit shaken. "Thanks."

"I did not know you could turn things into the vapor," Starfire commented, coming up beside her.

"Neither did I." Raven let her hand drop, drawing back into a neutral expression. "I just saw it falling and…reacted."

"Well, it's a good thing you did or we'd be short two Titans right now," Robin said, turning a glare to the boys.

They shrunk under his gaze, sheepishly. "Guess stupid works best when you've got somebody watching your back, huh?" Beast Boy said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well, I'd say this training session was definitely worth the time," Lilith said with a decisive nod. "I've got a better sense of how you all work as a team, and I confirmed the new meditation exercise is working exceedingly well."

Raven glanced over at her, puzzled. "Did you?"

"Yeah! The more you feel, the more energy is released, and we upped the range that your mind is willing to express beyond what you're used to. And yet you had no problems with your powers all day, and now you even used them in a pure emotional reaction and they came out constructively! Well, constructively destructive, but still.

"So," she added, stepping forward slightly, "would you be interested in trying out some other emotions today?"

Raven looked back at the neatly bisected strut, the dust still drifting down from the collapsed section of wall, and couldn't help but wonder how long she could have withstood the weight of that debris if she had been using only her more typical type of shields…

"I think that's a good idea," she agreed.

"Excellent!" Lilith clapped her hands and grinned. "If we're done here, let me just shower up and maybe we can fit in a round or two before dinner. Meet you at the saferoom in twenty?" she asked, already heading for the door.

"Sure," Raven muttered after her.

"Girl seems to like having a project," Cyborg said, eyebrow raised in amusement.

"Lucky me," Raven deadpanned. She caught the smirk on Robin's face and glared at him. "If you say 'I told you so', I'll show you what happens when I have a less friendly 'emotional reaction'."

He just gave a small laugh and walked over, squeezing her shoulder gently. "I'm just proud of you, Raven. That's all."

She felt the warm affection growing inside her again as he and Starfire headed out, her mind barely bothering to force it down. Before she could begin glowing, however, Cyborg clapped an arm around her shoulders excitedly.

"Okay, so here's what we're thinking. Next time, we have B turn into a rhino while you and I ride on his back with you using that shield disintegrator thing like a bulldozer."

"Ooh! Even better! What if I'm a Triceratops instead?" Beast Boy chimed in.

"You know you can't use the horns if she's got the shield going, right?" Cyborg argued.

"Bigger animal, bigger chaos we can cause, dude!"

Raven sighed inwardly as they followed her out, deciding she had better allow some time for meditation to center herself before dealing with accessing her emotions again.

OOO

The exercise with Lilith went mostly without excitement. Now that they had proven the saferoom prevented any imminent threat of her powers decimating the Tower, Raven insisted that she would rather not have the whole team watching anymore. They refused to leave her entirely without backup in case something changed, so they agreed on a compromise where one member of the team would observe each time she did a session. This time, Cyborg took the responsibility since he was the only one who knew how to read the displays in the observation room correctly, but they made plans to teach the others so they could trade out depending on which emotion she was going to express that day.

Continuing on from the previous session, Lilith attempted to invoke Humor again, but both ultimately gave up as they couldn't agree on a definition that didn't involve Sarcasm, Schadenfreude, or something too abstract to get a handle on. Instead, Lilith settled for getting Raven to feel Serenity and Contentment, then try to scale it as far up toward real Happiness as she could. They had a reasonable amount of success, as Raven seemed to relax into that mindset faster than expected, even if she never got to the point of glowing.

When they adjourned for dinner, Lilith was nearly brimming over with plans for where they could go from there.

"What we're doing now is just a beginning," she explained as the team loaded their plates and settled in around the table. "Now that we've established that the technique works for positive emotions, I think it will be good to start testing the ranges of some of the more problematic ones."

"Yay," Raven offered drily.

"You don't have to do anything you don't feel up to, Rave," Cyborg said reassuringly.

"No, Lilith's right. The point of this is to relieve pressure in my mind, and so eventually we will have to deal with the more difficult emotions." Raven stabbed a forkful of food grimly. "But that doesn't mean it's going to be pleasant."

"The only people who have to be there are the ones you're comfortable with," Lilith said. "And we won't push any farther than you feel you can handle safely. If you want to stop at any time, it's your choice."

"I said it's fine," Raven snapped. "Just because I'm not looking forward to it doesn't mean I don't agree with it!"

She focused back on her food, an air of awkward wariness covering the table as the others let the conversation go.

Cyborg cleared his throat, changing the topic. "So, there's a sequel to Cyclops War opening at the theater this weekend. Anybody want to go?"

"You know it, man!" Beast Boy grinned. "This time they have a Cyclops with two eyes!"

"You mean a normal person?" Raven pointed out.

"Nope, 'cause this one has one eye on top of the other!"

Starfire leaned over to Robin. "Perhaps while our friends see the movie of monsters, we can see the story of romance instead."

Robin frowned. "You don't want to go with the others? I thought you liked monster movies."

"I do, I just think it will be more…interesting to see the other one. With the kissing scenes."

Robin's nose wrinkled a bit. "I guess. It just kinda sounds like something you might have more fun seeing with another girl, right?"

Cyborg stared at him. "Dude, how were you trained by the best detective in the world and you're not getting that she's trying to arrange a make-out session with you?"

Robin flushed bright red, stammering a bit as he turned back to Starfire, who was pushing the food around on her plate sullenly.

"Perhaps it would work better if I spoke in the clues," she grumbled.

Any potential for a fight or apology was cut off by an unfamiliar laugh from across the table. Everyone looked over in confusion to see a very startled Raven looking back, eyes wide. "Sorry. That was supposed to be in my head."

"Did you just laugh?" Cyborg asked, incredulously.

She blushed, shrinking into her cloak a bit. "I didn't mean to. It just came out."

"See, that is what I was trying to get at in session today!" Lilith grinned. "Apparently I should have just brought Robin in and embarrassed him."

Raven winced. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."

"Raven, you have nothing to apologize for," Robin said. He glanced sheepishly at Starfire. "I do, but you don't. This is exactly what we've been trying to help you be able to do."

"This isn't fair!" Beast Boy protested. "I wanted to be the first person to make her laugh!"

"I thought the point of these exercises was to make progress on accessing my emotions quickly," Raven retorted.

"Oh, man! She got you, B!" Cyborg laughed, reaching over Beast Boy's head to high-five her. Raven rolled her eyes, but raised her hand for him to slap so he would move on.

"Hey, you guys aren't supposed to team up against me!" Beast Boy pouted. He glared at Lilith, muttering, "Homewrecker."

"So, Robin was coming up with a way to make it up to Starfire?" Raven prodded, trying to shift attention back off herself.

"Oh, yes, I am most eager to hear this," Starfire beamed, looking expectantly to Robin.

"Right. Uh, any chance we can do this privately?" he asked, glancing at the others.

"Oh, you'd better make it up privately later," Cyborg chimed in, "but let's hear a little baby talk now."

Robin sighed, then turned to face Starfire, taking her hand and looking her straight in the eye sincerely. "Star…"

"I accept!" she cried, grabbing him into a hug that made his bones creak. "And you are still most welcome to do the private making-up later!"

"Thanks, Star," he wheezed as she let him go.

Cyborg leaned his chin in his hand, disappointed. "Aw, man. I wanted to see some groveling."

The conversation had started to return to movie plans when Raven suddenly shuddered violently, her face draining to a deathly shade of pale.

Beast Boy looked over, worried. "Raven?"

The others noticed her stricken expression, glazed eyes staring at nothing.

"Raven?" Robin waved a hand to try to get her attention, then noticed the tea in the mug she gripped was boiling. "Raven!" He pulled it away before it could burn her, squeezing her hand in an effort to rouse her.

"What is happening? Raven, are you all right?" Starfire pleaded.

Slowly, Raven started blinking, her eyes focusing again, though with a deeply disturbed look.

"Raven?" Robin pressed, brow furrowed in concern. "What happened?"

Her mouth moved a few times, as if trying to speak, but no sound was produced. In frustration, she gestured at Lilith.

"Uh, from what I got over here, it seemed like you suddenly experienced three separate emotions at the same time. And not related ones," she added.

Raven nodded gratefully, swallowing enough to find her voice again. "That was…extremely unpleasant," she rasped, shakily.

"What, so three emotions were talking to you at once?" Cyborg asked.

"No. My mind tried to feel three unrelated emotions at the same moment." Raven scrubbed her face with her hands, which shook just noticeably. "It's…hard to describe."

"Do you wish to go lie down?" Starfire offered. "Or should I get you something to drink?"

"No, it's passed now," she said, drawing a steadying breath and straightening up again. "I'm fine," she insisted, though her voice still sounded weak.

"I'm sorry, I guess I've been pushing things too fast," Lilith said, worried. "We probably ought to step back and just work at reinforcing the progress we've made so far, make sure something like this doesn't happen again."

Raven nodded wearily. "Sounds like a good pla—aagh!" She broke off in a strangled cry, her hands clutching her head as her eyes squeezed shut against an invisible onslaught.

"Raven!" The others leapt up, unsure how to help.

Robin caught her as she stumbled out of her chair, knocking it backward, and guided her to kneel on the floor, where she curled around herself, face contorted in pain.

Around them, dark energy engulfed everything on the tables and in the kitchen. Pots, pans, and plates were whipped through the air in a maelstrom of sizzling energy. Silverware warped and bent while any remaining food and drinks ignited, boiled, or charred in their containers.

The team sought refuge beneath the tables, scrambling around to where Raven huddled in an agonized rictus.

Robin crouched before her, gripping her upper arms. "Raven, can you hear me?"

"Her mind is being bombarded with emotion," Lilith shouted over the roar of the psychic storm. "It's worse than before. This time all of her emotions are trying to escape at the same time!"

"So what do we do to help her?" Beast Boy asked, grabbing a passing colander out of the air and putting it on as a helmet.

Robin tightened his hold on her arms, desperate to get through to her. "Raven, I know you can take control back. You're stronger than your emotions. You can do this!"

"Her mind is in total chaos," Lilith said, grimacing as she tried to probe into the torrent of raw emotion. "It's taking everything she has just to keep her powers under control. I don't think she has any focus to spare."

"Then it's time to give her a break," Cyborg said, face determined. He crawled over to kneel beside Robin, trying to catch Raven's tightly-clenched eyes. "Raven, I'm going to try to help you, okay? You trust me?"

She managed to slit one eye open briefly, flashing confirmation as it met his. "Do it," she gritted.

Cyborg glanced at Robin. "Get clear."

Robin let go of her arms and backed off, watching nervously.

Cyborg put his hands where Robin's had been and said gently, "I'm sorry."

Without further warning, he released a short burst of electricity through his fingers. Raven jolted, seizing slightly as the current passed through her, then slumped forward against his arm, unconscious.

The dark energy vanished instantly, dropping kitchen supplies and flatware all over the kitchen and dining area with a clatter made abnormally loud by the sudden silence.

Cautiously, the others stood up, peering around Cyborg.

"Is she…?" Starfire breathed fearfully.

"No," Cyborg answered, confirming he was right with his sensors. Raven lay unmoving in the crook of his arm, but her breathing, heart rate, and neural energy were all back in acceptable ranges. "I just gave her enough to knock her out. Figured she could use a chance to regroup."

"It worked," Lilith assured him, leaning over and touching Raven's forehead. "Her mind is calm again. Her emotions have quieted."

"Good thinking, Cyborg," Robin said, letting the tension relax from his body.

"I just wish it was a permanent fix." Cyborg shifted Raven in his arms and stood up, carrying her to the living room.

Beast Boy swallowed hard as he trailed after them, his eyes never leaving her limp form. She always looked so small when Cyborg carried her. "What was that?"

"It was kind of like a seizure," Lilith sighed, rubbing her forehead. "I can't believe I didn't think of this. I even made the dam metaphor!"

"Excuse me?" Robin said.

"D-A-M. We were supposed to be creating a relief valve to bleed off excess emotional energy, but there's so much accumulated pressure from all those years of repression that as soon as I gave them an opening, her emotions must have all rushed it at once trying to get out." She tapped her fist against her forehead in frustration. "What good is my stupid precognition if it can't warn me about something like this?"

"Did it injure her, going through that?" Starfire asked, watching Cyborg lay Raven down on the couch.

"Physically, I doubt it," Lilith said. "She'll probably have a killer headache when she wakes up and I suspect she'll be exhausted for a while."

"Don't blame her," Cyborg said, stroking her hair once delicately, as if afraid his touch would hurt her mind more.

"It's the lingering effects on her mind I'm worried about," Lilith said grimly. "I don't know how much damage that stampede may have done to her shields. Hopefully it's just a little gap she can patch with some meditation, then we'll start opening smaller, more secure gaps in the future. Try to balance the pressure more. That's assuming this didn't cause any permanent impact."

"This sucks." Beast Boy rested his folded arms on the back of the couch near Raven's feet and plopped his chin on top of them, watching her sleep. "She was finally getting to enjoy this. I mean, she actually laughed!"

"It's my fault." Lilith looked down, ashamed. "I pushed her too fast. She was just making so much progress and everything seemed so stable that I kept moving forward without considering that her brain would need more time to adjust to processing emotions this way."

Robin put a hand on her shoulder. "You were just trying to help her. She'll understand."

Lilith nodded, suspecting Robin needed to believe that sentiment as much for himself as for her. She ran a hand through her hair, assuming an air of determination again. "Well, if she allows me to continue working with her, we'll take things slower. Teach her how to make her emotions take turns."

"What will happen if she does not continue with you?" Starfire asked.

"She can always choose to go back to how things were before. All the training we've been doing is reversible if she changes her mind. Of course, then she'll need to deal with the same problems that you originally called me here to fix."

A little alarm twinged in the back of Robin's memory. "Raven's asleep…"

"Guys!" Beast Boy yelled suddenly, scrambling back from the couch. "Somebody didn't wait their turn!"

They all spun around to see Raven pushing herself off the couch, four red eyes glinting evilly.

"Oh, I think I've waited long enough."

The scene where Raven experiences three emotions at once is actually based on a real account from a man who suffered a brain injury and had that occur during his recovery. If you'd like to read more, check out Richard Hammond's book "On the Edge: My Story".