A.N. Merry Christmas, dear readers! I bear the sweet gift of an update.

Many thanks for all the terrific reviews I received for the last chapter. A special thank you for this chapter goes out to the brilliant madmartagan, whose ideas made the following scene set in Gotham possible. He provided me with a lot of suggestions as to how I could accurately deal with the legal end of the marriage without dragging down the story or embarrassing myself for my lack of legal knowhow. This chapter turned out a whole lot better than it otherwise would have, all thanks to him.

So grab your eggnog and candy canes and please enjoy the chapter.

Chapter seven of Like It Or Not, entitled "Gotham, Dresses, and Curses"

Wednesday, May 23; three days remaining

"Come on, Beast Boy," Raven called in annoyance, tapping on the changeling's bedroom door impatiently, "We're already late." She scowled deeply. They were supposed to have arrived at the city limits ten minutes ago, but Beast Boy was holding them up.

"Hang on a minute," Beast Boy responded, his voice muffled by the closed door. "I can't find my hologram ring!" The noise of things being shuffled madly about could be heard and Raven huffed angrily, crossing her arms across her chest. Once again she was dressed in civilian clothing, and the itchy contact lenses that colored her eyes blue were most uncomfortable.

"Aha!" Beast Boy exclaimed, "Found it!" His door opened at once and he burst out, tugging on his left shoe as he hopped up and down in the hall. In addition to his hologram ring, he was wearing khaki pants and a wrinkled green dress shirt, which didn't exactly match Raven's black pants and purple jacket, but they hardly had time to change (not that she would have anyway).

"We haven't even left yet and you've already made us late," Raven chastised him, beginning briskly down the hall. Beast Boy stumbled after her, still trying to tie his shoelaces as he walked.

"So what kind of wedding dress are you going to get?" Beast Boy asked while they waited for the elevator to arrive at their floor.

"You'll see," Raven replied absently. Actually she hadn't given much thought at all to a wedding dress. She could only deal with so many unpleasant things at once, and tackling the wedding license issue was currently her only focus.

"Have you ever worn a dress before in your life?" the changeling inquired, finishing tying his shoes and turning his attention to taming the mess of blonde hair that had replaced his usual green mop.

Raven glared at him. "Of course I have."

"Whatever you say." Beast Boy chuckled. "So, can you at least give me a hint?"

The demoness sighed. "No. You'll find out on our wedding day."

"How romantic," Beast Boy pretended to swoon. Raven resisted the urge to shove Beast Boy as they stepped into the elevator.

TT

A sleek, black jet was waiting for Raven and Beast Boy when they finally arrived at the city limits, courtesy of Cyborg and the T-Car. The ensuing ride to Gotham was as mundane as a trip in a playboy billionaire's jet can be. Beast Boy tried to start a conversation with Raven a few different times, but gave up when she hardly glanced up from a book she had found waiting for her on the plane. After roaming about the plush cabin until he got bored, Beast Boy spent the majority of the flight playing with the extensive stereo system, which Raven tried hard to ignore.

At long last the jet began its descent, passing through a layer of thick, swirling, grey clouds. A number of minutes later found the jet on a lone landing strip in the middle of a dark, forested area.

Raven stretched her arms over her head and sighed, peering out one of the aircraft's many thick windows. It was a damp, foggy morning, which reflected her dismal mood quite well. She peered around for Beast Boy, finally spotting him curled up on a seat a few rows behind her. He was sleeping soundly, head resting on his forearms, and snoring lightly.

"Beast Boy," Raven called testily, marveling at how he could possible sleep under the stressful circumstances. She stood from her seat, making her muscles protest the sudden movement after being still for so long.

The boy lazily opened one eye and looked at her. He groaned but wisely noted the empath's apparent aggravation. He stretched luxuriously and slowly stood up, glancing about the cabin.

"We here already?" he asked with a yawn that revealed the pointed teeth his hologram ring apparently didn't mask.

"Obviously," Raven replied with a sigh.

"So, uh, ready to go do this thing?" Beast Boy asked awkwardly, scratching his shoulder with a hand that felt unusually sensitive without his glove in place.

''Not by any stretch of the imagination," she replied easily.

"Oh. Well, we just sign a couple papers and that's it for today, right?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Raven replied. "Come on. There's no sense in waiting." She turned deliberately and made for the door. Beast Boy swallowed and trailed after her.

TT

Raven straightened her jacket and squinted up at the bold, gold letters that were carved into the marble panel above the building's entranceway. The tarnished inscription read "Gotham City Courthouse." She glanced over her shoulder at the curb, where Beast Boy was just stepping out of the sedan that had been waiting to take them from the landing strip. He caught up to her quickly, fingers fidgeting around his hologram ring.

Beast Boy's eyes flicked up to the looming building. The courthouse was a gigantic stone edifice that looked a bit out of place in the middle of rundown businesses and apartment buildings. It was built entirely of white and gray marble, with huge brass doors at the top of a steep staircase.

"You sure this is the right place?" Beast Boy asked, even though the answer was obvious.

Raven sighed again and wrapped her jacket more tightly about her shoulders as a damp breeze swept at the dead leaves around their feet. She glanced up at the sky, where the ominous layer of clouds still blocked out the sun and threatened rain.

Wraught iron window grilles that made the building look more like a prison than anything else covered the courthouse's windows. Deep cracks spidered across its front, and the remains of years of graffiti still stood out where it had been scrubbed at in vain. But despite the ancient building's state of disrepair, it stood regally among the other sordid buildings that lined the streets. From their vantage point hardly anyone was in sight, but both Titans felt the distinct, uneasy feeling of being watched.

Raven fought the strong urge to turn back and hail down a cab to take them far away from this forbidding building in the middle of a crumbling city that just seemed to exude danger. She marveled at the idea that Robin once called such a dilapidated place home, and she suddenly felt a strong appreciation for her clean, bright Jump City.

Beast Boy took her hand, distracting her from her troubled thoughts. Raven glanced at him sharply, but her expression died when she noted that his eyes betrayed only the same unease that filled her. Raven's fingers curled around Beast Boy's warm hand, and she felt slightly less anxious.

The two started up the stairs together, carefully making their way up the dangerously slick stone steps toward the brass doors. When they reached the top Beast Boy pulled open the heavy door and they walked inside quickly. A heavy mist had just begun to fall outside.

It was like they had stepped into a completely different world when the walked into the courthouse. While the dank city streets had been filled only with the distant sounds of traffic, the interior of the courthouse was loud and bright. People, most dressed in business suits, hustled through the visible hallways, their hurried footsteps resonating against the black and white tiled floors. Several telephones were ringing from what appeared to be a receptionist's desk, and the unintelligible din of dozens of voices filled the room.

Raven drew herself up and made her way with Beast Boy over to the receptionist's desk, where several women hurried to answer phones, scribbling notes madly and paging offices.

"Excuse me?" Beast Boy said uncertainly. The nearest receptionist, an elderly woman with a phone held over her ear, glanced sharply at him.

"What do you need?" she clipped, tapping a pen against the desk in impatience.

Beast Boy swallowed.

"We need a marriage license. Could you tell us where we could find a clerk?" Raven spoke up.

The woman at the desk set down her telephone and regarded the couple carefully.

"Floor three. I believe you're expected there," she replied, and then turned her attention back to her desk.

Raven thanked the woman and made her way with Beast Boy over to the elevators.

It wasn't difficult to find the right office. After navigating through the halls for a while, Raven came across a door with a gilded sign that read, "BETTY DACKET, Marriage License Dept." in black type.

"Here it is," Raven announced, calling over Beast Boy as she knocked gently on the glass. Beast Boy quickly stepped over, checking for the millionth time that his hologram ring was secure, and combing through his wild blonde hair with his fingers.

The door opened seconds later and a short, tight-lipped woman with graying hair and kind, steel-blue eyes peered out at them. Her roaming gaze locked first on Raven and then turned to Beast Boy. She took only a moment to size them up, then her face broke into a smile that made her eyes wrinkle.

"I've been expecting you," she said warmly, and she stepped back, beckoning the two into her office. She carefully shut the door behind them after quickly scanning the halls.

The office felt surprisingly comfortable for being in such a dismal and hectic building, and although little light shone through the sole window, white painted walls and numerous vases of flowers brightened the room significantly. Two simple wooden chairs were placed in front of an ornately carved, glossy oak desk.

The woman rounded her desk, eyes hardly leaving the Titans.

"Welcome to Gotham. My name is Betty Dacket, but please call me Betty. I understand you two need a marriage license, is that right?" she asked kindly.

"Yes it is," Raven replied simply.

Betty nodded and eyed Raven in a warm, grandmotherly sort of way.

"Yes, yes. What a lovely couple," she said fondly, stepping back to regard them both at once. "You are making a wise choice, you know. Not many people your age have this sort of responsibility, but it really is the best time."

Raven looked at her blankly.

"Tell me, dear," Betty turned to Raven, "How far along are you? I can hardly tell."

Raven tried to figure out the meaning of Betty's words.

"Oh," she said as realization finally dawned, "No, I'm not––"

"Now now, darling," Betty said, raising a hand in a grandmotherly sort of way, "I'm not going to judge."

Raven tried not to blush and looked to Beast Boy for support. He wouldn't meet her gaze.

"She's really not, uh, pregnant," he replied.

Betty nodded in understanding. "Don't look so nervous," she laughed. "Don't you worry. I won't tell a soul. Like I said, you two are doing the right thing, so I won't tattle on you." She winked at them. "Please, sit down. This shouldn't take long."

Beast Boy and Raven took the offered seats, still not able to look at each other, as Betty shuffled through her desk.

"First of all," Betty began, perching a pair of glasses on her nose, "I need your names."

"Uh, I'm Garfield…Logan and this is Rachel," Beast Boy offered. "Rachel…" he trailed off, looking to Raven for help.

"Roth," she muttered.

"Ah, Rachel. A lovely name," Betty replied reminiscently, apparently either not noticing or deciding to disregard Beast Boy's strange inability to produce the last name of his fiancée. "My granddaughter's name is Rachel. The poor thing's mother wasn't as lucky as you, dear," she said, casting Raven a stern look. "Ana - that's my youngest daughter - had a real tramp of a boyfriend. He ran off to New Jersey when he got the news of her pregnancy." She snorted indignantly. "You're blessed to have a man who's brave enough to account for his actions."

Betty sighed and shook her head. "Anyway, back to the matter at hand. I have been told not to expect you to have your Social Security numbers or birth certificates on you," she said, folding her hands on her desktop. "You must understand that under normal circumstances you would have incredible difficulty obtaining a marriage license without either of those resources. But anything is possible for those who have the right connections, hm?" Betty looked at them knowingly. "Many people in this city owe favors to him who protects us. I'm happy to do what I can in return." She produced a number of papers from a manila folder on her desk as she spoke and gave several of them to each of the teens, who accepted them wordlessly.

"You'll need to sign these first, then I must make a couple of calls," she explained. "I'm sure we can find someone to vouch for the information you give me if necessary, but, regardless, there are certain things that I'm sure that will need to be, eh, modified because of your unique situation." Betty nodded at them significantly.

Raven scanned the form in front of her before jotting down her signature. Beast Boy did the same, and as soon as Betty took up the forms again, she excused herself and stepped out of the office. The door shut firmly behind the elderly clerk, and Beast Boy and Raven were left in complete silence.

A few minutes passed and the quiet remained unbroken. Beast Boy cleared his throat awkwardly.

"So… she thinks you're pregnant," he remarked casually.

Raven nodded slowly, crossing her arms and staring at a tin pencil cup on Betty's desk.

"Why else would people think I'm marrying you?" she responded thoughtfully.

"My irresistible charm? Young love?" Beast Boy offered with a shrug. "I dunno. But it bugs me that she just assumed."

"And so will everyone else," Raven pointed out. "And it is foolish for people our age to trick themselves into believing the illusion of having actual love."

Beast Boy didn't say anything, and the room was silent once more. Rain splattered against the window as wind gusted against the building, and Raven turned her attention to the foggy windowpanes.

"Raven Logan," she said aloud with a sigh a few minutes later, as if testing out how the name felt on her lips. She grimaced slightly. "Doesn't have much of a ring to it."

Beast Boy looked offended. "What's wrong with it?"

The empath rolled her eyes. "Nothing, Beast Boy. It's fine."

The room fell into silence again and Raven resumed staring out the window.

"Ya know you don't have to change your name if you really can't stand it, right?" Beast Boy offered.

"Actually I do," Raven bit back, shooting him a look, "It is optional on Earth, but under Azarathian law, I'm required to take on your surname."

"Then I guess you're stuck with it," Beast Boy said with a shrug.

Raven went back to staring at the pencil cup on Betty's desk.

It took almost twenty minutes for Betty to return, and the time seemed to drag on forever. For having such a busy lobby, the courthouse's third floor was deceptively vacant. Raven could hear Betty's nearing footsteps long before she arrived in front of the door.

Betty reentered the room and was careful to shut the door behind her before speaking.

"Alright, Mr. Logan, Miss Roth, everything seems to be in order," she announced happily as she traveled back to her desk. "There are just a few things more that require your signatures, and then you can be on your way."

Betty passed several complicated forms to them. Raven scanned the pages she was given, attempted to decipher the legal jargon as much as possible, and jotted down her signature. Betty collected the papers from her and Beast Boy and carefully added her own signature and a stamp to the bottom of each page. She then carefully filed the papers away and took out a final page, which she identified as the actual license. Betty placed the single paper into an envelope, and gave them careful instructions to return it to her upon the completion of the wedding.

"Well," she sighed, "That just about does it. You two should be all set."

Raven tried to smile. "Thank you for your help," she said.

Betty grinned benevolently. "Oh, I'm more than happy to help. It's nice to see such commitment in young people." She sighed again as she stood, rounding the desk to shake their hands. She stepped over to Beast Boy first. Even with her high-heeled shoes she stood several inches shorter than him.

"I'm very proud of you, young man," she began, taking Beast Boy's hand and patting it warmly, "It's very admirable that you want to do the right thing. You take care of your wife now, and when the baby gets here, I know you'll be a wonderful father." Betty pinched his cheek fondly as Beast Boy flushed. "You do have the means of providing for your new family, don't you?"

"Providing? Well, that's not–– I mean, I guess?" Beast Boy stammered dumbly.

"Good. Well, I wish you the best of luck," Betty said with a heartfelt smile, taking his hand again and shaking it warmly.

"Thanks," he replied, as Betty turned her attention to his fiancée.

"And you, Rachel," Betty said quietly, tugging Raven aside by the sleeve, "You are very fortunate to have such a responsible young man to take care of you. I do hope that you feel due gratitude for that. Darling, you have certainly made some mistakes, but I know a good couple when one comes along. I am sure that you and your Garfield will be very happy together."

"I hope that everything works out," Raven offered, hoping that she came across as more sincere than she felt.

Betty nodded in understanding and hugged her tightly.

"I know this is a scary time for you, dear, but you've made the right choice to marry him," the clerk assured her.

Raven nodded awkwardly, stepping back as soon as she was released. Betty handed her the envelope that contained the marriage license, repeated her instructions to return it as soon as the wedding was over, and wished the couple well again.

The Titans were only too happy to get out of the room, and as soon as Betty's office door shut behind them, Beast Boy heaved a sigh of relief.

"I am so glad that's over," he moaned, careful to keep his voice down, and started down the hall quickly.

"Me too," Raven agreed. "Thank you for not acting too immature in there."

Beast Boy chuckled. "Raven, I promise to be a wonderful father to your baby when it comes."

Raven bit back a grin. "Don't joke about the clerk," she muttered as they neared the elevators, "It's only normal that she would assume."

"That's kinda sad, don't you think?" Beast Boy mused. "That just 'cause we're young Betty was sure that's why we're getting married?"

"First of all, neither of us have a grasp on what would be considered normal," Raven reminded him. "But I would say it is fairly realistic to assume that people our age would only get married if they were either horribly shortsighted or, in fact, pregnant. Second, it's the haste with which we're getting married that's going to make everyone assume the worst, not to mention that we're obviously actively trying to keep it a complete secret."

Beast Boy sighed tiredly. "God, why do you have to be so analytical all the time, Rae?"

"It's called thinking logically. You should try it sometime."

"Oh, come on! I am logical," Beast Boy whined.

Raven cast him a disbelieving look and did not reply. The elevator released them on the first floor a moment later and submerged them into the cacophony of lobby noises once again.

But one noise immediately stood out to Raven as different from when they entered the building. Her eyes flicked over to the entrance, where a loud commotion of voices and flashing lights was crowded around the doors. A moment later a very tall, important looking man in a black suit pushed his way through the group of cameramen, walking quickly in their direction.

Raven's eyes widened. Ducking quickly she took Beast Boy's wrist, pulling him away from the elevators toward the right side of the lobby. She didn't allow herself to look up until the camera flashes stopped and the elevator had apparently departed.

"We cannot let any more pictures be taken of us like this," Raven ground out in exasperation. "Robin would kill us."

"Chill out," Beast Boy replied easily, leading them towards the doors. "We're hours away from JC, we're not doing anything incriminating, and even if we were, we're both disguised, so no one could tell who we were anyway. Ha!"

"Ha?"

"Yes. Ha. Now that, my love, is logic in action," the changeling said triumphantly.

"I'm impressed. But Robin would still murder us just for being careless enough to be caught in a picture in the first place," Raven replied. "And I'm not your love."

"I just figured I'd start small with the pet names, Cuddle Bunny," Beast Boy said with a shrug.

"If we weren't at the top of a very steep staircase in the middle of this strange, godforsaken city, I'd make you pay for that," Raven warned him.

"Threaten me if you will, Cupcake, but by your own logic, I've got at least two more years of life guaranteed to me."

"So you've accepted that this will only be lasting two years then?"

"No, but I'm not about to go and die if it means you'd die too." With that Beast Boy put an arm amiably around her shoulders, and Raven didn't work up the will to shrug it off until they neared the curb.

TT

Raven had only been allowed several hours of reprieve after returning from Gotham before Starfire dragged her off dress shopping. Raven had apathetically watched Starfire bounce about the common room as she attempted to forget about her morning excursion over a cup of hot tea and a good mystery novel, but when the exuberant alien began tugging at her cloak, Raven knew she couldn't put off the trip much longer.

And so the Titan girls departed, one in significantly better spirits than the other, bound for what was known to be the best dress shop in all of Jump City.

From the moment they entered the first store and an overly happy attendant with pep to rival Starfire's met them at the door, Raven knew this would not be a pleasurable experience. Not in the slightest.

"X'Hal!" Starfire exclaimed, "I have never seen such a glorious place!"

Raven sighed. "Sweet Azar, take me now," she muttered, as Starfire skipped off to the first aisle of dresses. Moving faster than Beast Boy on caffeine, Starfire bounced from aisle to aisle, riffling through racks of gowns, pulling out her favorites (at least every other dress, actually) for Raven to try on.

Within two minutes of entering the store, Starfire returned to Raven, who was still cowering near the entrance, with a mound of clothing that towered over her head.

"I believe you should begin by trying on these," she said sweetly, spinning around and making her way to the fitting area.

Raven followed slowly, pointedly ignoring several salespeople as they accosted her en route to her dressing room.

The first dress Raven tried on was a putrid peach color. It was long enough to trail on the floor even when she held it up, and a large satin bow tied the corset-like top in place. Shaking her head in disgust, Raven glanced at the second and third dresses in the pile. The second was a traditional white with puffed sleeves and a plunging neckline that she was sure would reach her navel. The third was the exact opposite, sporting not only long, lacy sleeves but also a turtleneck. The fourth actually wasn't too bad. It was a simple, light purple gown, but when she tried it on, Raven discovered that the chest was far too tight to be comfortable.

"Raven?" Starfire called from the other side of the door, "Are you having much success in your search?"

"Not yet," Raven said between clenched teeth as she struggled vainly with the zipper on the fourth dress.

The first pile of dresses, in which there turned out to be thirteen gowns, took almost twenty minutes to finish trying on. After finally finishing with them, Raven realized that Starfire needed some sort of guidelines to follow, and set a few simple parameters to observe. Raven waited in her dressing room, sitting on the single chair and rubbing her temples, as Starfire eagerly ran out to find more.

Luckily, the second lot of dresses was better. Only one of nine was too horrendous to try on, and Raven narrowed the bunch down to a single dress, which she actually allowed Starfire to view her in. A simple off white, it had a swooped neck that reached several inches below her collarbone at its lowest point. Iridescent silver lace decorated the hem and the short sleeves. Raven ultimately decided against the gown, however, and despite Starfire's subsequent searching, the store did not seem to have anything better to offer.

And so, leaving the store attendants scurrying to pick up after them, Raven and Starfire left the store.

The second shop they tried, a small corner boutique maybe twenty minutes away from the first, contained only modern dresses. Raven took one glance at the mannequins in the window, all dressed up in loud colors and slinky styles, and refused to enter the building, no matter how much Starfire pleaded.

"Please, friend Raven!" Starfire begged, "Do not judge the book by its protective covering!"

"For the last time, Starfire," Raven cried in exasperation, "I am not going into a store that doesn't sell a single white wedding dress."

"I do not understand your opposition to beautiful colors," Starfire replied.

"Pastels I understand, but neons?" Raven said skeptically, motioning with disgust to a rather vibrant yellow ball gown.

After several minutes of convincing, Raven managed to get Starfire to pass up the store. They headed toward their third stop, which was only a few streets away.

They entered the shop, and similar to their entrance into the first, Starfire quickly ran off to pick out her favorite dresses. Deciding that it would make the process slightly less time consuming if she trailed Starfire along, Raven begrudgingly trailed a few feet behind the alien, unenthusiastically nodding or shaking her head whenever Starfire took a dress from an aisle. With every passing minute she was growing more and more sure that there wasn't a dress in the world she would feel happy about wearing.

Upbeat as always, Starfire took a rather frilly pale purple gown from one of the racks, holding it up for Raven to admire.

"This dress is most divine, is it not?" Starfire gushed, twirling the dress about and watching the bright lights make the copious sequins around the bodice glimmer.

Raven sighed hopelessly. "It's alright," she replied tepidly.

"Please! Try it on!" Starfire insisted, shoving the hanger into Raven's hands.

Raven groaned but retreated to the fitting room, angrily brushing away an eager sales associate with a box of pins and a measuring tape.

Raven threw on the dress (it had to be the thirtieth dress she had tried on that day, and her patience was shot), examining herself briefly in the expansive mirror. The gown fell several inches above the floor and the sleeves fit awkwardly. Grumbling in exasperation, Raven slipped off the gown and redressed quickly.

"Oh good, you have returned!" Starfire greeted her as she emerged from the dressing rooms.

Raven didn't even have time to offer a reply before another hanger was shoved into her hands.

"I am certain that you will find this garment most enchanting," Starfire said happily.

Sighing to herself, Raven turned and walked directly back to the fitting room, wisely keeping her mouth closed. She restrained herself from slamming the rickety dressing room door shut. After a deep, calming breath, Raven held up the dress in front of the mirror.

She turned it carefully, and for the first time that afternoon, Raven felt hopeful that all was not lost. She carefully removed the dress from the hanger and pulled it over her head, smoothing it out gently. Raven examined the dress closely in the mirror, running her hand absently down one of the silky ribbed sides. Finally, a dress that wasn't something out of a fairytale ball or a runway magazine. It was a decent enough length, probably just long enough to brush the floor if she wore a pair of heels. The dress was an elegant light blue, so light that it was practically white, with a smattering of beads that glinted purple when they caught the light. The beads were scattered liberally across the material and more concentrated at the hem. It was a sleeveless dress, the neckline cutting evenly across her chest, just high enough for her not to feel too terribly self-conscious about wearing it in front of other people.

"Raven?" Starfire called from nearby the door. "Have you finished trying on your dress? I have found several others which I am quite certain you will adore!"

Raven carefully moved to the door, opening it so Starfire could see her.

"You know what, Star?" Raven said matter-of-factly, "This one will do."

Starfire squealed, dropped the dresses that had been in her arms, and was suddenly floating in the air in jubilance. Zipping over to the bride-to-be, Starfire enveloped her friend in a hug.

"Oh Raven, you look so beautiful! This is truly the most perfect dress for you, yes? It fits you wonderfully. And look, the beads match your hair!" Starfire smiled brilliantly at her friend, and Raven couldn't help but grin back.

"Starfire, you're not supposed to fly in public, remember?" Raven said, and Starfire immediately dropped back to the ground.

"Of course," she replied. "You will certainly purchase this wondrous garment, yes?"

"Why not?" Raven shrugged. She couldn't help but feel excited. The curse might have taken her empathic abilities, but no human could be in close proximity with Starfire and not be affected by such happiness. Raven was also quite relieved that they could finally go home, where she looked forward to finishing her novel and not thinking about the wedding.

TT

Raven had only just gotten home for the second time that day, and had just returned to her novel when Beast Boy burst into the room, asking about her outing.

While her spirits had been slightly lifted by finally finding a decent dress, her patience was never that easy to recover, especially after a day as long and painful as this one had been. Besides her book, the only thing that brought her pleasure at the moment was the fact that she was comfortable in her own leotard and cape once again, and out of that horribly uncomfortable civilian clothing.

"So did you get one?" Beast Boy asked, dancing around the table where she sat.

Raven cast her eyes heavenward, praying for composure.

"Yes, Beast Boy," she replied in boredom.

"What's it look like?" he asked, taking the chair next to her and propping an elbow on the table.

"What I told you this morning still stands," she replied evenly.

Beast Boy huffed. "You're no fun," he said.

"I can live with that."

"Don't I know it." Beast Boy tilted back his chair so that it was balancing on two legs. "By the way," he spoke up, "Rob's looking for us."

Raven closed her eyes and groaned to herself.

"Why is Robin looking for us?" she asked, begging that it wasn't more wedding stuff.

"I think its more wedding stuff," Beast Boy replied.

'Damn it all,' Raven thought to herself.

Before she could respond, the hydraulic doors to the room opened, and Robin stepped into the room.

"Good, you're both here," the Boy Wonder said. He stepped into the room, clutching several folders in a gloved hand. He made his way over to Raven and Beast Boy and took a seat across from them.

"I suppose you both can guess why I wanted to talk to you?" he asked.

Raven nodded curtly.

"Wedding stuff?" Beast Boy replied.

"Right." Robin pulled a few papers out of one of his folders. He spun one of the papers around so they could read the text on the page.

Raven only needed a glance at it before her expression went sour.

"A copy of a few different traditional wedding vows," Robin stated for Beast Boy's benefit.

Beast Boy skimmed the page and wrinkled his nose. "Is this actually what we have to say? It's so cheesy!"

"It's not uncommon for the bride and groom to modify the vows if they deem it necessary," Robin said. "And obviously we will need to make a few modifications to fit your situation. The 'for as long as you both shall live' part, for example."

Beast Boy looked appalled. "Don't tell me you're jumping on that now too! Just 'cause Raven's being stubborn doesn't mean it's really gotta happen like that."

"Yes it does," Raven stated in a finalizing tone. She did not feel like debating the issue yet again, especially when she was just barely able to tolerate the thoughts of marriage accosting her tired mind for the millionth time that day. "And the part about obeying your husband will need to be cut out," Raven added as an afterthought.

Beast Boy shot Raven a look.

"What," she said spitefully, "You expected me to agree to that?"

"Well no," Beast Boy replied dully.

"Raven, are there any Azarathian vows you need to add?" Robin asked, scribbling down a few things on a paper in front of him.

"The issues of consensual abstinence and two year termination obviously," Raven responded. "There may be others that I am obligated to include. I'll get back to you on that."

"Alright. And Beast Boy, anything in particular you know you want to add?" Robin asked.

Beast Boy crossed his arms over his chest angrily. "What's it matter? Anything I suggest'll just get shot down by marriage killer Raven."

"Don't be immature," Raven fired back.

"Me?" Beast Boy said loudly. "Do we even need to go through this again?"

"No, you don't," Robin said calmly, holding up a hand. "Or at least wait until I'm gone. Beast Boy, is there anything you know you want to include?" he repeated.

"Well, just take out the love and cherish part, alright?" he replied angrily.

Raven took a moment to reply. "Fine by me," she tried to say scathingly. It sounded a little flat even to her own ears, but she kept a steady gaze with Beast Boy anyway.

Beast Boy's expression was suddenly drained of its fury as quickly as it had been filled, transitioning into a blank sort of sullenness. "That's really how it's going to be?" he asked resignedly, making Raven feel uncomfortable with his unusually unreadable look.

Raven only nodded silently.

"Can we finish this up later?" Beast Boy inquired hollowly, turning his attention to Robin, "I have to go do something."

Beast Boy rose from the table and quickly walked for the door.

Neither Robin nor Raven called out for Beast Boy as he crossed the room quickly, and he exited the room silently.

Raven couldn't meet Robin's gaze. She heard him exhale deliberately, and cursed herself for not knowing when to shut up.

"Are you sure that you're going about this in the right way?" Robin asked.

"Of course," Raven replied automatically.

Her leader looked skeptical. "Maybe you need to reconsider what's actually best for the team then."

"What do you mean by that?"

Robin shrugged, leaning back in his chair. "This is pretty hard on Beast Boy, you know. He's got to be as anxious as you are, and your stubbornness isn't helping the situation."

"If he wasn't so stubborn with his impractical, romanticized opinions then this wouldn't be difficult."

"You mean it wouldn't be difficult if he always agreed with you and went along with everything you wanted." Robin said. "And he's the one being unrealistic?"

"Then you expect me to compromise on issues like abstinence? Obeying him? I would be foolish to accept what Beast Boy wants. Behind the costume, he's just another teenage boy. I refuse to compromise with someone so easily run by hormones and whims."

"That's understandable," Robin agreed, "But you have to learn to trust him. You don't give Beast Boy enough credit. He's been through a lot and he's not an idiot, so stop assuming that he'll just end up hurting you. That is the issue here, isn't it?" Robin let his words sink in for a moment before continuing. "I thought you would be able to see beyond the façade he puts up around us," Robin said sadly. "Look, if you want the next two years to be bearable, you need to learn to see things more realistically."

Raven shook her head sadly. "I don't think these next two years will be bearable, Robin, no matter what I do. Beast Boy and I are just too different and too young."

Robin paused to collect his papers. He carefully stacked them in a pile and stood to leave.

"I can't change your mind," he said, "But as your leader I advise you to consider if you really have the best interests of the team at heart."

No sooner had he finished speaking, the Tower's alarm system sounded. Red lights flashed rhythmically in every room, illuminating everything for a fraction of a second in ruby light with the swelling of the electronic siren.

Robin cast Raven a knowing glance.

"I know, I know, I'm staying here," she said in aggravation, not even bothering to stand.

Robin nodded and whipped out his T-Com as he dashed from the room. His call of "Titans! Report!" could be heard echoing through the halls as the doors shut.

In a minute the red lights stopped flashing and in two minutes Raven could hear the T-Car being dispatched across the bay. Raven slumped down in her chair and leaned her face on her hands, feeling completely useless.

She couldn't bear just sitting there!

She made for the foyer with her book, although she was certain that she wouldn't be able to enjoy it any longer, and sat down. When the stillness in the room around her became unbearable, Raven began to pace.

One long hour later her teammates returned. Raven was still waiting for them in the foyer when they arrived. First Robin stormed in, alone and furious, making his way rapidly across the room and disappearing deeper into the Tower without a word.

"Well that can't be good news," Raven muttered to herself and frowned.

Starfire and Cyborg soon walked in. They appeared to be in far better spirits than their brave leader.

"Friend Raven!" Starfire exclaimed upon seeing the empath. She floated over to her and gave the girl a tight hug. "Have you heard about our battle?"

Raven shook her head.

"Battle? Ya can't even call it that." Cyborg sighed. "Rob's not happy, to say the least."

"So I surmised," Raven replied. "What happened?"

"Not much. Another factory was looted. Same method used as last time, and no clues were left behind. Another three hundred pounds of steel, gone. And it gets better. The media was there by the time we showed up. They were pretty quick to accuse us of slipping, this being the third robbery and all, and I'm pretty sure Rob took that to heart," Cy replied with a shrug.

"And Robin cares about what the media thinks why?" Raven asked.

"Robin does not understand the insignificance of the media and its… less than insightful opinions," Starfire said sadly.

"And in case you're wondering, grass stain's already on his patrol shift. Volunteered to take mine too, as a matter of fact. I'm almost tempted to let him," Cyborg told Raven.

Raven's brow furrowed. Beast Boy was probably still upset over their latest feud.

"I think I will go find Robin," Starfire said solemnly, drifting off.

Cyborg and Raven went on their separate ways soon after. Still feeling bad, Raven briefly entertained the possibility of going out to find Beast Boy. Knowing him, he would be out all night patrolling just to stay out of the Tower, assuming that he was still angry with her.

For the remainder of the day Raven found refuge alone in her room. She felt miserable, both ashamed at her own uselessness and worried for Beast Boy's sake, despite their earlier falling out.

He was just so damn childish! There wasn't much he wouldn't do, even when not under the influence of anger. She definitely knew what he was like when furious and did not want to see him get hurt tonight because of a feeling she caused.

"I swear, if he gets himself killed…" Raven said aloud, letting her voice trail off, because she wasn't at all certain what she would do if something like that happened to Beast Boy.

For the second time that day, Raven took up pacing. She drew her curtains so her bedroom was as dark as it could be. That way she didn't have to see the city outside, where Beast Boy was, liable to do something stupid and get himself hurt.

Hours trickled by. The sun set, noise from the city died down, and the moon rose. And still Raven paced, sickeningly full of doubt and concern. Against her better judgment she allowed herself to descend into the same mutinous thoughts that were constantly lingering in her mind these days, for lack of something better to keep her worried thoughts from Beast Boy.

How could the rulers of Azarath actually see fit to curse her like this? Weren't they aware that by taking her powers and forcing marriage upon her, they were hurting some of the only people who were still fighting against evil? All this conflict and tension was completely avoidable and solely the fault of the dead rulers of a hopeless, dying planet. Hadn't they realized that perhaps marrying young to have children wasn't the best option in every circumstance? It was completely infuriating!

Her anger flared for hours until Raven was driven into utter exhaustion, and just when she would begin to cool down, a stray thought would begin to tickle at the back of her mind, forcing her to see that perhaps the curse wasn't the root of all of her problems. Robin was convinced that she needed to trust Beast Boy, but that seemed out of the question. And how many times now had she been called closed minded in the last few days? But that was preposterous, really. She was being quite reasonable, considering everything. Even if everyone else in the Tower was all for her giving up her identity and learning overnight to trust blindly, she sure as hell knew better.

Was it just her imagination, or was the air becoming unbearably stifling? Raven unlatched her cloak, tossing it onto a chair.

Feeling more like a caged animal than she had felt in a long time, Raven continued to pace around her room, phasing between self-righteous fury and brief spells of doubt.

Suddenly she halted her pacing. Raven suddenly felt dizzy and slightly nauseous. Hoping that she had just been pacing for too long, she sat on the edge of her bed, waiting for the unwelcome feeling to pass. However, the aforementioned sensations only intensified steadily, causing Raven to panic. Could this be another one of those attacks?

Her vision began to dim and she started to sweat. Raven fell against her bed, as she suddenly felt too weak to sit. She ached. Oh Azar, she was sure that her skin had been set on fire, and there was suddenly a horrible, throbbing pressure on her head, as though her skull was caving in. She couldn't move. She couldn't breathe. The sudden onslaught of pain was blinding her, pulsing with her heartbeat, itching through her veins, and growing even more unbearable with every slowly passing moment.

"Stop," Raven moaned weakly. Her throat was dry and searing hot, and her bones burned as if being eaten by acid.

Her body could only take so much! Raven had never experienced this sort of all-encompassing torment before, and wondered miserably if this was what hell was like. Could this possibly be a taste of the eternal punishment that was in store for her if she did not obey the curse? No, it was far too great to bear for even a few moments, let alone the rest of time! Raven had to stop it. But what had she done to deserve such retribution? She was marrying Beast Boy in two days, which was what the damn curse required! Why should she have to like it, as long as she was obeying?

A closed mind will be your demise.

That lone sentence reverberated powerfully through her mind, but she was experiencing too much trauma to even recognize if it was her own thought. All she knew for certain was that she was utterly immobile, suffering unjustly at the mercy of the unrelenting curse. Was she really meant to die now?

Raven had to find relief quickly, but how? She was obeying the curse, so what more could be done? She had to prove that she had surrendered and was not fighting the law, but how could she possibly do that without being able to speak or even move?

Then it occurred to her: Beast Boy. He was perhaps the only living, breathing, proof that she was submitting to the curse! She wasn't sure why, but for some reason Raven felt confident that her fiancée could save her. If he was out on patrol though, she was truly lost. She didn't know how to get to him or what he could possibly do, but Raven trusted that if there was anything that could help her, it was him. The agony that ravaged her immobile body showed no sign of letting up, and Raven was certain that she could not take much more of it. Raven focused intently on the changeling, fighting against the pain that pounded against her brain.

Her feelings of urgency gave way to a flicker of hope as a strange sensation overloaded her senses, washing over but not taking away the pain. Raven suddenly felt like her body was moving, but not being able to see anything but darkness, she was completely disoriented.

Then, as suddenly as it had come, the pain was completely gone. She was left feeling utterly numb, her body ringing from the abrupt change. Raven saw silver stars swimming in the blackness around her. She didn't even know if she was breathing, but she tried to take air into her lungs anyway. Still, there was absolutely no sensation in her body.

Minutes crawled by, and very slowly, the leaden daze began to fade. The process was excruciatingly slow, but Raven began to be aware of her surroundings as feeling seeped back into her body.

The first thing she felt was a gentle pressure against her entire front. She figured that she was lying on her stomach. Next, she was aware that she was lying against something soft, something that had a faintly musty, familiar scent that her groggy mind couldn't quite place. Normally she would be eager to figure out what had happened to her, but presently, Raven couldn't care less where she was. With her strength gone and body feeling utterly drained of life, all she wanted to do was lie motionless and recover.

--

Anyone want to guess what happened to Raven or what will happen next? I'll mention your username in the next chapter if you guess correctly. Good luck.

The next chapter is basically written already, so it shouldn't take me too terribly long to post up. I do hope that you enjoyed this chapter, and I sincerely wish you a wonderful remainder of your holiday season.

Want to make my Christmas special? Then why not drop me a review? Every single one is like a gift to my poor, starving soul.

As always, thank you for reading!