Mm . . . I have nothing to say. :C

ENJOY!

P.S. Who else thinks that smiley ^ looks like a frog? I think it does. Or it at least reminds me of one, for some reason.

Chapter 9
"Please, Just Listen to Me"

Beast Boy:

Watching Raven stare blankly at a wall and have Starfire help her drink water was agonizing and painful. I couldn't help but move next to her, with the help of Robin, and touch her arm. She seemed to notice this and the focus returned to her eyes when she looked at me.

"Beast Boy," she sighed, leaning against me. I turned on the bench, straddling it, and letting her head hit my chest comfortably. I wrapped my arms around her shoulder tightly, when she stiffened every so slightly, and I immediately loosened my hold. She relaxed, sighing against and placing her hands around my neck softly. Starfire seemed relieved she was moving, and could pay attention to something, but also sad about the whole situation, though she didn't know much about it. Cyborg's full attention was on driving the ship, and nothing else.

I patted her back, which seemed acceptable. Whatever this girl had done to Raven, she obviously had made her feelings about being touched by people uncomfortable. Like before I'd met her, according to her and the others. "I'm right here, Rae."

She nodded, tiredly. "Don't leave me."

"I won't," I assured her, lightly rubbing her back now. This she relaxed into, pressing herself farther against me. I had a feeling she was trying to get away from other people, secretly uncomfortable about being half-naked, though covered by a thick blanket entirely, save below her knees.

We waited in silence for us to be home.

"We're back!" Cyborg announced, just as I began to doze off. Raven's hair was still long, and I was thankful of the blanket on her body. No one but the five of us (including herself) had seen her in such a probably shameful state. Knowing Raven, she probably thought of herself as extremely defeated.

I looked out the window to see our friends, waiting outside the helicopter's garage. A few other things had been built, in what could be useful, but nothing as extravagant as the helicopter. Everyone looked worried.

"Raven probably doesn't want to be seen . . . like this," I commented, holding her against me. "Can we just get straight into her room?"

"Yeah, we'll just go out the back way," Cyborg replied, getting out of the helicopter and helping me while Starfire once again carried a clearly uncomfortable Raven. I would have loved to have held onto her, but I wasn't going to risk dropping her. Robin ushered us out, heading towards the front door to explain she needed to be left alone.

"I'm fine," she insisted, once they'd set her on the bed in her room. "Really, I just need to sleep."

She did actually sound better. Just tired now.

I held her hand, gently, "We just want to make sure, Raven."

"I just need to heal myself," she insisted. "There's not even any physical damage, just-." She stopped, swallowing. "The point is, I need to get some rest, not be kept up all night with machines."

Cyborg crossed his arms, like the big brother he was. Raven flinched, and the stern look evaporated, "Its mental, isn't it? You've been traumatized by whatever happened, huh?"

Raven looked away from both of us, nodding. Starfire clapped her hands over her mouth, her eyes watering before she flicked those tears away and smiled at Raven, "Then we shall leave you alone, friend."

"Thank you," she replied, to Starfire and Cyborg. She then turned to me, biting her lip. "Beast Boy?"

"Hmm?" I asked, letting her go.

She seemed nervous, "I don't . . . I want to be alone, while I heal. I'll see you as soon as I wake up in the morning, okay?"

Knowing this was what was coming, I nodded, "Of course, Raven, I understand. Trigon won't try anything twice in one night anyways, and now everyone's up, so you're safe." I pointed outside, "And I'll be right outside if you need anything."

Raven seemed relieved I hadn't protested. She was so delicate, not the Raven I knew. She was terrified, broken, and weakened beyond repair, for a normal person. Thank God for her powers, I thought.

"Goodnight, friend Raven," Starfire said, bowing out of the room.

Cyborg waved his goodbye as well, holding himself back from touching her until it was just the two of us. I turned away from the door to her, holding her hands lightly.

"You promise you'll be okay?" I asked, quietly.

She nodded, carefully removing her hands from my grasp. "Yes, I'll be fine."

My eyes narrowed.

"I promise."

I relaxed, standing, "Goodnight, Rae."

"Goodnight, Beast Boy," she replied, the blanket still around her.

Raven:

I changed into something less revealing, unable to function in front of other people. I wasn't tired, just terrified and traumatized at the moment, and being alone made me feel tons better. I left the cloak off, climbing into bed and removing my shoes, which felt odd in my lack of outfit.

After this, I fell into a deep slumber.

When I woke up, I yawned, feeling refreshed. I checked the clock. Ten. Great.

The memories of last night had remained, of course, but the healing had done the equivalent of ten years of therapy, and whatever else people needed to get over things like attacks. Also, I found, Arella's betrayal and all disturbing events that had happened in the past few years seemed to have dulled. They were there, but didn't bother me in the slightest. What actually had me worried was that Beast Boy was going to be traumatized, as well as Starfire, Robin, and Cyborg. I would recommend a healing sleep for them as well, if it bothered them enough, but if they needed it and refused, I could always do it while they were sleeping anyways. No harm done.

I took a shower, marveling that I had no scars, like the ones once on my hands. I looked normal, like nothing had happened in the first place and it made me relieved. I realized my hair was still long, and it took longer then usual to wash it. A frown spread on my face, realizing I would have to cut it when I was done. Its not like I hadn't before, I'd just never let it grow this long.

When I got dressed, and had spent an hour in the mirror cutting my hair with a pair of scissors, I remembered my promise of seeing Beast Boy once I woke up in the morning. He was probably sitting on the couch, right outside, I mused, tapping his leg impatiently and refusing to move from that spot in the living room/kitchen. I opened the door, looking right where the couch was located.

My suspicious was confirmed.

"Beast Boy?" I called, gently, to get his attention.

I had it immediately, his head shooting to me and standing, too quickly, and seemed to notice. For immediately afterwords he seemed wary, as if he suspected the treatment hadn't worked, and I'd lied just to get him to leave me alone. Had I done this, I knew he would forgive me, but thankfully, that wasn't the case, and people touching me (especially his touch) was welcome once more. To an extent, as always.

"Raven, how're you feeling?" Beast Boy asked gently, approaching me and rubbing my arms with the softest of touches.

This was definitely not what I wanted.

"Better, if you would stop treating me like I'm about to burst into tears," I retorted, removing my hood with one hand and revealing my smile to him. "I said I'd be fine, didn't I?"

His eyes lit up immediately, "Raven!" And he crushed his lips passionately against mine, holding my face in his hands. I couldn't help but laugh a little bit at the neediness but soon realized I needed this too. I soon found my back pressed up against the door, one hand remaining on my neck while to the other roamed, relentlessly.

I stopped this after five seconds, grinning mischievously. "I think we better greet each other in the privacy of my room."

He grinned, "I think that would be a great idea, Raven."

"Good."

I grabbed him by his collar, shoving him into my room, the door disappearing, and locked it securely behind us. Thank God for locks and really thick walls. The only person who could've heard through them was the one I was currently sharing my affections with.

Beast Boy immediately took to sitting on my bed, with me straddling his lap and continuing to move, moving me with him. I had one hand in his hair, the other around his neck. I was content with this until he gripped my waist, removing me suddenly moved me, forcing me onto my back on the bed, him propped up on his elbows and eying me.

"I missed not being able to touch you," he commented, one finger sliding down my side.

I frowned at this, and touched his gloved hands. I immediately pulled them both off, smiling to myself. I was one of few, apparently, who had seen Beast Boy's hands without his gloves, and his hands were marvelously soft. He tossed the gloves on the floor, taking his time as his bare hands slid up my thigh, smirking to himself.

"I love you," He reminded me, rolling onto his side, his hand on my hip. "You scared me last night. I thought I'd lost you."

I hugged him tightly, "I love you too. It won't happen again."

"How can you be so sure?"

I contemplated this. "I'll promise you on this, Beast Boy." I replied, pulling the charm from my belt, which made on brow raise. "No matter what happens, I'll find a way to come back to you. I'm not leaving without a fight."

"You're not leaving permanently," he growled, kissing me fiercely. It was made clear the subject terrified and infuriated him that Trigon could get to me any time he wanted.

After an intense minute of the two of us intertwined, he released me, pressing his forehead against mine as we tried to catch our breath. The emotions in him had shifted from neediness and joy to fear and frustration.

"Hey," I said gently, taking his chin and angling it towards me. "Look at me, Beast Boy. Calm down. I'm right here."

Despite my reassurance, he squeezed his eyes tightly, holding me and inhaling, as if trying to reassure himself this was real. That this wasn't some hallucination or illusion he would soon wake up from and I smacked his arm, lightly.

He jumped in surprise, "What was that for?"

I grinned back, "So you know this isn't your imagination."

Beast Boy laughed, snuggling with me comfortably. "Wanna go greet everyone and tell them you're okay?"

I thought for a moment. "No, I don't think they need to know for a while longer."

We laughed together, the feeling of comfort around us.

Terra:

I groaned, biting my lip as I took a scathing shower. Beast Boy's little neck-disconnection was now sore, outside of the suit Trigon had given me to wear to disguise myself. In the mirror, I'd looked rather creepy. Attacking Raven and threatening her wasn't as hard as one would seem, especially threatening her with the destruction of ones own planet. But Trigon had promise Aqualad and I safety, a one haven on Earth we could live in until our quick lives ended. We could be intimate, but it would be impossible for us to bear children, he'd said. Once we died (which would seem like minutes to him in his immortal life) the world would be his, free of us 'vermin', and I wouldn't have it any other way.

To die with Aqualad, the two of us the last remaining in existence. A perfect ending.

Raven had forced herself into a comma, from what Trigon and Robin had told me, releasing the trauma and healing it over. It would clear her mind, to Trigon's irritation, but there was nothing he could do about her healing powers, just her meditation and of course, her dark magic. Effectively, she could find a way to use this against him, but it was far beyond her knowledge and capability. I smirked.

So who was so useless now?

Sadly, I had to act as concerned as everyone else, tossing the clothes off and pulling on a large shirt just in time for Argent to come bursting into my room, talking about how Raven had been attacked. I'd been tiredly surprised, scrambling up and pulling no decent clothing while she waited impatiently. We hadn't even seen her, not that I needed to. She didn't want to see anybody, which was understandable.

Someone knocked. I ignored it. I was too irritable to speak to anyone convincingly at this moment.

"Terra?" Aqualad called.

I begrudgingly pretended not to hear, letting the shower wash blissfully around me and smiling to myself. Soon enough he could join me in the shower, and there would be no boundaries anymore. Just us into eternity.

"Eternity," I sighed, smiling. "I like the sound of that."

Arella:

I was being driven insane by the one person who had made me strong and the other who I had been willing to give up everyone and everything for. My own daughter turned against me, all because he could evade my mind far easier then I had expected her could.

"Insanity does not do you just, Arella," his voice said, in the room around me. Had I not known better, it would have sounded sympathetic. But as it turned out, I did know better.

"Blame yourself for that, Scath," I replied, quietly. Anyone who heard would claim me insane, though more then I was. A mother driven mad by her daughter, who was probably being manipulated at this very moment. "You've damned a girl whose done nothing, and the only thing I truly love on this world anymore. What more can you do to me?"

"Strong words, my love, but you forget, you are the one who drove her away with your secrets, not I. I was waiting to reveal myself to her fully once you told, so she could have a fighting chance, but as it would seem, you didn't want to give her that chance."

I snorted in disdain, "You're a liar. You would've taken her on her next birthday after I told her, as your form of a present. A present which I doubt anyone would want."

"Come now, Arella. Must we be so hostile with one another?"

"Shove it up your hole you worthless bastard."

"It seems it is necessary." The demon sighed, his tone deep and falsely regretful. "I really did love you, Arella. We could have been great together had you simply handed Raven over to me."

I shook my head, "I never wanted that for her. I never wanted that for my only daughter." I became thoughtful, "Tell me, Trigon. What would you have done had I become pregnant once more?"

"I would have killed it," he said simply. "Your body, after having Raven, were poisonous to another child, whether it be mine or another."

"And if Raven had taken her own life after finding this out?" I persisted, morbidly curious. I had nothing left to lose, anyways. It hardly mattered anymore.

"The boy is useful, in that way. It has made her both vulnerable and stronger; stronger, because she would do anything to protect him from me, and so keep the world alive for them, but also vulnerable, for if it became who would survive between herself and he, she would pick this boy."

"Leave him out of this!"

"You sound like his mother as well."

"He has nothing to do with this, and neither do her friends. Leave. Them. Alone."

"I will not promise anything, my dear. No one can order Trigon the Terrible!"

I clutched a picture in her hand, of Raven, sitting on the floor of a cabin they'd stayed at while on the run. She smiled up at the camera, a little carved horse in her hand, something one of the more civilized villagers had given her. "You don't know our daughter at all, if you think that."

His presence had left, for the time being, and the psychotic person I had become, feeling suddenly trapped in my mind, curled into a ball and began to shake violently. Everything had fallen apart. Death was the only thing I could count on now.

What a gift that it would be, should it only come sooner.

Arella made me depressed. She knows she's losing her mind, and can't do anything about it, not to mention Trigon's still being a sadistic asshole.

I realized I hadn't been putting in as much BBxRae, so that's what those last few chapters were mainly focused on. But, I'm kind of missing the other people, and so Blackfire and Red X shall be in the next chapter.

Until later, my readers!