Author's Note: I deserve all of your disappointment and every pitchfork I get poked with. It's been two weeks, and to be totally honest, I've no real excuse for this taking as long as it did. Mr. Nagira makes another appearance in this chapter, and a longer one at that, so I was more than a little paranoid and it took far longer than strictly necessary. For that, I apologize.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans.

Chapter Five

Decisions

The next morning, a sleepy changeling rolled over in his bed, blinking the sleep out of his eyes as he got up. Momentarily, the events of the night before were forgotten, and he happily, if somewhat groggily, rolled out of bed and went about getting dressed. It wasn't until he was halfway out his bedroom door that clarity hit him, and he was back inside, leaning against his wall with a wave of anxiety washing over him.

The bite. He'd bitten her! Her scent had been so intoxicating at the time, and even now he had that energy high that he got whenever he got a taste. It was like every drug he'd ever read about, but so, so much better. Just thinking about it drew a contented sigh from deep in his chest, though it was one that he knew simply could not last.

Slipping out his bedroom door, he made his way towards the common room, slowly. Surely the others would have found out; Robin would insist on interrogating him, probably wanting to throw him off the team. God knows the guy was just looking for an excuse. Starfire would be first disappointed in him, then angry; how dare he hurt one of her friends! Even Cyborg would get that look on his face that he got when he was really pissed off but didn't want to just explode.

And Raven…He wasn't sure he could face her. How could he, after what he had done? Walking into the common room, he was surprised to find that there were no disgusted stares or interrogations waiting for him. Everyone was present, Raven reading on the couch with Cyborg playing games next to her, Robin and Starfire cooking something in the kitchen.

Only Starfire bothered to look up when he entered, and all she did was give him her usual friendly smile before going back to what she was doing, which appeared to be cracking eggs of some kind. He went to grab something quick to eat, deciding on cereal that day, almost timidly. He half expected this to all be a trick, and Robin would be breaking out the handcuffs any second.

When he managed to get through an entire bowl of cereal without incident, something was clearly wrong. So, he decided to do the only thing he could do; confront Raven. Walking over to where the empath sat on the couch, he reached out to tap her on the shoulder. However, before his hand made contact, she flinched. He drew back his hand as though slapped while she turned her head to look at him.

"Yes, Beast Boy?"

"…Could I talk to you for a minute? Alone?"

Raven hesitated for a moment, her breath hitching. Not even Cyborg, who was only a couple feet away on the couch, noticed; though he wasn't paying any attention at all. He doubted the half metal man had even noticed he was there yet. Beast Boy did, though; his sensitive ears, alongside the fact that he was listening for signs of it, let him hear it all too clearly. The ball of dread in his stomach that had started to lessen when it seemed the other Titans didn't know about the night before came back with a vengeance.

"Is there a reason we can't talk about it here?"

The last piece fell into place. She was scared of him. Raven was scared; of Beast Boy. Sure, it wasn't a gut clenching terror that had her running at the sight of him, and he doubted anything could instill that kind of fear in her. Still, though, there was that hesitancy. That momentary catch in her breathing, that heartbeat that skipped ever so slightly, the note in her voice that suggested talking to him was the last thing she wanted to do but she didn't want to upset him with a harsh rejection. He'd never thought that heartbreak would have a sound, and it didn't; but if he had to compare it to an action, it was like a guitar string snapping. There was a little, minor stress, nothing out of the ordinary, then…Pop. He could feel the pressure building behind his eyes.

"Actually, never mind. I think I just answered my own question. See ya' later, Raven!"

He walked from the room as calmly as he could. He was proud of himself for not letting his voice crack or waver, for not letting the tears he knew were building fall, and for not breaking out into a run the moment he'd turned his back. It was a petty and misplaced pride, because he was running as soon as the common room doors closed, the tears were falling before he had his bedroom door open, and he'd barely managed to close it before he was racked with sobs.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was wondering why exactly he was as torn up as he was. Yes, he expected to be sad, but wasn't this a little over the top? The thoughts were a proper distraction, though. His sobs died down somewhat, though the tears still fell. It was after about a minute of thinking that he realized, no, he wasn't over-reacting. He'd put years, years, into getting Raven to open up out of nothing more than the desire to see a friend smile, to see her smile. All of it was ruined in the space of a couple minutes. He'd turned learning her reactions, her scent, her habits, and all of the other miniscule things that made Raven who she was practically into an art form. Slowly, almost agonizingly so, he'd wormed his way into her confidence. They'd become friends, with a mutual bond of trust. Now, all that was…

He shook his head vigorously. He had to get control of this; if not for himself, then for Raven. He knew that she still felt guilty over what had happened. He knew she wouldn't rest easy knowing that she had caused him trouble, because he knew Raven. He knew that, above all, she hated being a burden. He couldn't rely on her for this; every time he did, it would be rubbing salt in the wound, reminding her that she'd played a part in his transformation. He needed knowledge right from the source, and he had an idea of where to get it.

His resolve strengthened, he wiped his tears and left his room with a destination in mind.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Beast Boy looked up at the skyscraper in downtown Jump City. Then, he looked back down at the business card in his hand. With Robin distracted by Star, sneaking into his room to grab the business card off his desk had been a cinch. Punching the call-code for the appropriate room into the intercom, he waited. Three rings later, there was the sound of someone picking up; then, a voice he clearly recognized as not belonging to Mr. Nagira spoke. It was cheerful, friendly, and laid-back in the extreme, nothing like the businessman he was there to see.

"Yeah? Whose it be?"

"This is Beast Boy of the Teen Titans. Is Mr. Nagira available?"

"Soooo, yer' lookin' fer' me bro, eh? Cause I's don' be thinkin' I recernize yer' voice."

Confused, Beast Boy looked down at the business card in his hand. On closer inspection, he realized that the card gave no first name, only a first initial of R.

"I don't know. There's no first name on the business card."

"business card? Yea, ye's be lookin' fer' me bro. Hold a sec, I's kin buzz ye' right up!"

A moment later, he heard the distinctive sound of the door unlocking, at which point he opened it and made his way into the elevator. His destination was the top floor, a penthouse no less. Whoever this guy was, he must be loaded. The elevator opened and he stepped into a room that felt a lot like the common room of the Tower. A wide window made for one amazing view, and the room was wide open and spacious. There was only one person in the room, a blond haired male about his own age sprawled out on the couch. He didn't even look in the changeling's direction, though he did react to the sound of the elevator door opening.

"Oi, bro! Tha' guy be hea'!"

"Ah, yes. Beast Boy, correct? Come, right this way; we can talk in my office."

Without thinking, he was already moving to follow the man. Though he was kind of creeped out by the guy's super formal clothes and speech, something about him gave the business man a trustworthy feel, and he tended to trust his gut on such things. The first thing that registered upon entering the man's office was how clean and organized it was. The guy made Robin look like a slob.

"Now then. To what honor do I owe this visit, hm?"

"I was kinda hopin' you could help me out. I need to know about demons."

"Why-ever would you need to know about something like that?"

The changeling hesitated. Should he tell this guy? Sure, he got the feeling that this 'Mr. Nagira' was trustworthy, but at the same time he was aware that this kind of secret was dangerous.

"I…Before I tell you, can you promise me that you won't tell anybody?"

"Please, sir. I am a business man first, and I take my business very seriously. If any of this conversation were to leave this room, it will not have been my doing. On that, I will gladly swear my life."

"Well, alright…The story goes like this."

It was like so that Beast Boy explained to Mr. Nagira the events of just a little over a week ago, as well as those of the last few days. He glossed over a few of the less than important portions, such as the rabbit incident, as well as his and Raven's late night study session and the bite, of course; he wasn't quite that trusting, and there was no real reason for the guy to know.

"Alright, I believe I understand your situation. Now, what is it, exactly, you wish to know?"

"I'm gonna change into a demon. I want to learn what to expect; better than living in fear."

"I see. I think I have just the thing for you, then."

Mr. Nagira moved across the room to a bookshelf against one wall. Tracing his hand lightly along the rows of spines, he seemed to be looking for one in particular. Pausing a moment, he pulled one off the shelf, a rather thick book bound in black leather and with no visible markings on the outside. Flipping it open to a random page, he looked for a moment, nodded, and closed it with a snap.

"Here we are. This book is a catalogue of information on the demon races I do know of. It is far from complete, but I believe it is the most appropriate book among my collection to assist you."

"Awesome, dude! What do I owe ya'?"

"Actually, I have a proposal for you. I will lend you this book free of charge if you'll do something for me."

"Whaddya' need help with?"

"As I said, this book is incomplete. I'd like you to help add to it. It is said that you cannot truly understand a man until you've walked a mile in his shoes." At this, the man turned to regard the changeling closely. His gaze was piercing and somewhat reminiscent of Slade. Unlike Slade, however, his eye seemed to hold only a powerful curiosity, and none of the malice or criminal insanity that the mastermind often carried. "I do believe that you, more so than anyone else, are perfectly equipped to do exactly that, in the most literal sense."

"So, what? You want me to, like, keep a diary of when I change?"

"Essentially, yes."

"I can do that, I guess."

"We have a deal, then?" The man held out a hand. Glove met glove, and the two shook on it. The book was passed into Beast Boy's grasp a moment later.

"Thanks, dude! You're a life saver. I do kinda have one more question, though."

Mr. Nagira, who had returned to sitting at his desk, looked up. "Yes? And what might that be?"

"Uh, well, I know this is gonna sound weird, but…What's your relationship with Raven?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Your relationship with Raven; what is it? I can smell it on you. You smell like her."

"It would seem I've underestimated your nose…interesting. If you really want to know…I've always been a firm believer in equivalent exchange. I will tell you what you wish, if you return the favor."

"Wait, huh?"

"I will tell you what my relationship with Raven is, if you tell me yours."

Beast Boy paused to consider this. They were just friends, right? True, he was closer to her than some of the other Titans, but there wasn't really anything special between them, was there? Not in that sense, anyway. Though sometimes, he couldn't help but wonder why he tried so hard. Sure, he wanted her to smile; he wanted all of his friends to smile. Was he taking it personally simply because she seemed determined to keep him at arm's length, or was there a deeper meaning that he'd never bothered to look for? Some of his confusion must have shown on his face, because Mr. Nagira, though he was respectful enough to not say anything, has a distinctly amused glint in his eye.

"We're…friends. Good friends, but just friends. What's your story?"

"To make a make a very long story quite a bit shorter, you could say I'm her older brother."

"Older what? But I thought Raven was an only child!"

"Come now, Beast Boy. You did not honestly believe a demon as old and powerful as Trigon the Terrible would only have one child, now did you?"

It took the changeling only a couple seconds to mull that over before he was suddenly dropping into a defensive posture, anger etched on his face.

"What are you planning? I'll never let Trigon have Raven! None of us will!"

Mr. Nagira, for what it was worth, reacted calmly. Raising his right hand into the air, he looked at the changeling with an expression that suggested he did not wish to fight.

"I swear that I've no connection to my father other than blood. I have long since been taking precautions to keep myself free of his influence, and now that the only other potential Gem has overcome her destiny, this plane will be free of Trigon's influence for a long time to come. I wish nothing but the best for my sister."

Loosening up, Beast Boy took a long look at the man in front of him. Despite the revelation, there was still that feeling in the pit of his stomach that this guy was, if not necessarily friend material, certainly not a liar. The changeling straightened, bringing his hands back to his sides.

"Alright. I'll trust you. Does she know?"

"No, and if possible I would prefer it remain that way."

"Why? You'd think she would want to know she has a fami-"

"She already has a family, Beast Boy."

Beast Boy was struck speechless momentarily. He did not raise his voice, nor had his tone changed, but the weight of his words was almost tangible. While it was true that the man not telling Raven of the situation could be seen as immoral, the selfless nature behind his motives was clear. With that one sentence, he could feel his respect for Mr. Nagira climb a few notches. Before he could say anything, the business man continued.

"As much as I might like to reveal myself to her, I've no desire to complicate the situation. She is a hero, and I am…not. My business forces me to travel quite a bit, and I would not wish to pull her away from her team, her other family. At least this way, I may keep an eye on her, and play some part in her life, however small. It is not ideal, perhaps, but I am content. Will that be all, Beast Boy? I really must be getting back to work."

"Uh…yeah. Thanks again for the book, Mr. Nagira. You're a good guy, you know that? Oh, and thanks for looking out for Raven, in your own way. I promise that I- we, will take good care of her."

"I would…appreciate that. Have a nice day, Beast Boy."

Once Beast Boy was safely out that door and, as portrayed by the security cameras he was tapped into, on his way out of the building, Mr. Nagira let the slightest upward twitch show at the corners of his mouth. Standing, he shook his head.

"If only you knew, Beast Boy, you would not be so quick to praise me." Stepping out of his office and into the main room of the penthouse, the business man looked at the figure sprawled out on the couch. Another slight smile dared to show itself. "Brother, you know you cannot fool me. I am aware that you were eavesdropping."

The blond one on the sofa laughed, a merry sound filling the room. "Eavesdroppin'? Bu' I's nevah' e'en go' offa tha' couch! Now how's ya' be 'spectin me ta' go n' do sommin' like tha'?"

"If you say so. Now, I do believe I have a job for you…and this one promises a fight."

The blonde one laughed again; this time, it was more akin to a cackle than a sound of mirth.