AN: I do not own Teen Titans. Please refrain from reviewing until the end of the story. Thank you.

Chapter 4

The thrift shop smelt musty and unclean. Apart from them, there was only an elderly woman and a boy that probably should have been in school looking around. Beast Boy was carrying Raven's items that he'd gathered up from under the shrubbery and she had a basket over her arm for what they were going to purchase.

"Do I really need to wear a sweatshirt?" he whined. "They're so big and bulky."

"I'd rather not get a lot of odd stares on my vacation so you need to cover up your green complexion," she said, throwing a dark brown hoodie into her basket. "You're going to wear a hat, too."

"Aw, that'll give me hat head," he pouted.

"You know, if not for me you'd be on a bus heading back home," she said, her voice even.

"Right, sorry," he apologized. "So…why didn't you send me home? I mean don't get me wrong, I'm super excited that I get to go with you to the book signing, but I don't understand why."

She was quiet for a moment, continuing to look through the racks of outdated, worn out clothing. Then, after pursing her lips for the slightest of moments, she said, "Because I know what it's like to be a fan of someone's work that no one else appreciates. I also know what it's like to have others say unfriendly things about your taste in literature. Trust me, I was going to send you straight back to Jump City on the next available bus. And then…you told me that you're a fan of Melita Funar. And, knowing how much I've wanted to go to this book signing, I can understand why you were so desperate to get there. I don't agree with how you went about it but I can understand it. That's why I decided to let you tag along."

"Oh," was all he could say, feeling a bit guilty about his lie.

"And, for the first time, we both have a common interest," she continued. "This may be our only chance to actually…bond over something."

He couldn't believe he'd actually heard her use the word 'bond'. Raven had never wanted to bond with him. She barely ever wanted to occupy the same room as him. But that really was because they were so different. They didn't dislike each other, not at all, they were just so completely different that it didn't make sense for them to be together. And now, from what Raven had heard and believed, they had a chance to make a connection. He looked at her and saw that, though she refused to face him, she looked ever so slightly demure. And he realized that she was happy, or rather pleased, to finally find some common ground with him. He felt the pain of guilt twist a small knot in the bottom of his stomach.

"Uh, yeah, I guess you're right," he said, pushing the knot in his gut aside. He then cleared his throat and said, "So, um, where are we going on our trip across the country?"

"I take it you weren't listening the other night when I told everyone my plans over pizza," she stated, not at all surprised. "Tomorrow we're going to a tea sanctuary. It's got nearly every type of tea leaf in the world and you can make your own personal blend and if it's never been made before they name it after you. The next day we're visiting the country's only fantasy specific bookstore. Not only does it promise to carry every fantasy classified novel in the world but also has a foreign language section as large as the English section. The day after that we'll be stopping by Madame LaMasque's Uniform Boutique. I have an appointment with Madame LaMasque herself to get fitted for a new outfit. And the day before we arrive in Civic City we'll be popping into an underground magic shop so that I can pick up some hard to find supplies."

"Wow sounds…interesting," he said with an unenthusiastic smile.

"Well this is my vacation," she said. "You can wait at the bus station if you'd like when I go off to these places."

"Eh, I think I can find some way to have fun," he shrugged. "I mean, it doesn't sound awful. Hey do you think I can get a new uniform, too? I'm kinda growing out of this one."

"You have been wearing it since you were with the Doom Patrol," she agreed. "Unfortunately you have to book months in advance to get an appointment with Madame LaMasque but there's no harm in asking. I'm going to check out the books. I suggest you try to find something to occupy your time on this trip."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"We're going to be riding a bus all day each day for five days," she explained. "And unless you can be kept busy with nothing more than silence and the passing scenery, you ought to find something to entertain you."

"Ah, gotcha," he said, understanding.

"I'll meet you at the checkout counter in ten minutes," she said, pointing to an old clock that hung on the wall. "The bus should be here in forty-five minutes and I still want to get some lunch."

"Yes! I'm starving," he cheered. "I hope they have some vegetarian friendly food here."

"I'm sure we can find you a salad somewhere," she sighed and they parted ways.

He looked all around for things that could keep him from getting bored out of his skull. He found an old CD player and a couple CDs he could bare to listen to. There was a kid's activity book and a small art set that had markers and crayons. And, just as his ten minutes was almost up, he spotted a treasure trove of old mediocre comic books.

After purchasing everything they needed, Beast Boy changed into a less conspicuous outfit, they packed their bags, and walked towards the nearest food establishment. They found a sandwich and soup shop that had vegetarian friendly items. Once they'd gotten their lunches they headed back to the bus station. Just as Raven bought another ticket the bus pulled in and they soon boarded and headed out.

"So how long is this ride gonna be?" asked Beast Boy, taking out his pesto avocado tomato sandwich.

"Just five hours," said Raven, carefully opening her cup of chowder.

"Five straight hours?" he asked, bits of his sandwich falling from the corners of his mouth. "No bathroom breaks?"

"There's a bathroom at the back of the bus," she said, blowing on her spoonful. "You should've gone when I told you to before we got on."

"No kidding," he muttered and took another bite.

"If you start complaining I'm going to send you home at the next stop," she warned.

"Alright, alright, I'll shut up." And with that he stuffed half of his sandwich right down his gullet.

After they'd finished their lunch Raven opened her book up and Beast Boy took out his activity book. That kept his attention for a good eight minutes. After that he tried to get the CD player he'd bought to work but he soon learned why it was in the thrift shop in the first place. The slightest bump in the bus would cause the disk to skip to the point that it was maddening. So he took out his comic books next. He only managed to get halfway through one before he was so terribly bored by the content he had to put it away. Now he had nothing to do. And they were only twenty-two minutes into their five hour ride.

"Ugh! Why couldn't you have taken a plane?" he whined, shifting in his seat and trying to get comfortable.

"Because if I had done that I wouldn't be able to visit the other stops along the way," she said, not looking up from her book.

"Are you seriously going to read the entire ride?" he asked.

"Most likely," she replied.

He watched as she clicked her pen and wrote in the book, which surprised him. "Why are you writing in your book? I thought you liked it."

"I do like it, that's why I'm doing it."

"…Huh?"

She sighed then explained, "I underline parts I like or find interesting. I also make notes about my thoughts on what's happening. It helps me understand the story and understand the author's true meaning. I'm able to find the hidden analogies and metaphors with more ease."

"So when you like a book you take notes on it like you're gonna write a thesis on it later? Jeez, that's the problem with you smart people. You always have to look for hidden meanings in stories. Some guy will write story about a unicorn and a prince and you smarty-pants will say that it's a story about politics. Did you ever think that when an author writes a story about a unicorn and a prince they're actually writing a story about a unicorn and a prince?"

"I didn't say I do it with all of the books I read," she clarified. "Just the ones I really like. The ones that, after I've read them, I can't get out of my mind. The ones that leave me with questions and wanting more. The only way for me to get more out of the story is to break it down and delve into it as far as I can, cover every aspect. I'm not saying I don't go overboard sometimes and make connections that may be more coincidental than the author intended, but it helps me to enjoy the book to its fullest."

"Oh," he said, with an understanding nod. "Okay, I get that. It's like when I really get into a comic book so I go online to read more info about it on Shmickapedia."

"…Yeah, it's like that," she said, not exactly sure what Shmickapedia was but glad that Beast Boy seemed to understand what she was saying on some level. "Actually, would you like to talk about the series? I'm curious to hear what you've taken away from it thus far."

The changeling felt his throat grow dry. "Uh, no, that's okay. You look like you're really into what you're doing and I wouldn't wanna stop you while you're on a roll. How about later?"

"Sure," she shrugged. "If there's one thing we have it's plenty of time." And with that she stuck her nose back in her book.

He'd gotten himself out of that one but only for a little while. He needed information on that book or his lie was going to run dry soon. But he didn't have any access to the internet. What he wouldn't give to have ten minutes on Shmickapedia. "Cool," he smiled, with relief. "It's a date, Pollywog."

Raven's nose lifted right back out of the book and she turned to him with an odd look. "Pollywog?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you!" he chuckled. "That's your new nickname."

"…Why?"

"Cuz Aqualad said you were a polly-something-or-other and I thought he said pollywog so now that's what I'm gonna call you," he smiled.

"Wait a second," she said, putting her book aside and turning right towards him. "What did Aqualad call me?"

"I'm not sure," he said, noticing how serious she'd suddenly gotten. He was a tad confused until he realized that they were talking about Aqualad. He felt his lips tighten slightly with anger. Of course Raven would care what he thought of her. She was not so slightly smitten with him, like any other girl who'd seen him. "Some word that starts with poly and means being able to talk a lot of languages."

"Oh, a polyglot," she said, a bit relieved. "That makes sense."

"What? Did you think he called you something mean?" he asked with a snide tone. "Scared Mr. Perfect might not like you?"

She frowned and turned back to her book. "Grow up."

The sun was beginning to set through the trees bordering the high way. They were two hours into their ride and had another three to go. Beast Boy had ripped pages from his activity book out and had entertained himself by making paper airplanes and footballs. The bus was littered with the folded paper but no one really seemed to mind. They were all on their laptops or mp3 players. The changeling was insanely jealous.

He was about to flick a paper football across the aisle that he spotted Raven's book resting in her lap, her head tilted and resting on her shoulder. He took a closer look and beneath her hood her eyes were closed and her lips were parted ever so slightly. She was sleeping. It seemed the trip, and the shock of him suddenly tagging along with her, had taken its toll on the empath. Her pen was still loosely clutched between her alabaster fingers but was slowly slipping as she fell deeper into sleep. He gently reached over and took the pen from her hand, he couldn't believe how cold her fingers where as his skin brushed hers, and managed to grab the book as well. She moved slightly, giving him a minor panic attack, but settled just as quickly. Now was his chance to give the book a look through.

The cover was simple, a midnight blue background with a lock of hair with a golden hue disintegrating and blowing away. It was entitled Ashen Splendor: Vol. III. He first read the back synopsis so that he could get some idea of what it was about. It was the third in the series, which meant he'd probably be confused, but it looked like your typical fantasy story to him. Forsaken enchantress trying to clear her name, evil hobgoblin putting curses on the peasants, a mystical medallion that could save humanity. Yup, pretty basic. He guessed it was going to be filled with large or ancient words he wouldn't know but he'd have to somehow get around that. He opened the book to the first page and began. He was lucky to have Raven's copy to read, as she was currently breaking the book down in the margins. He was also lucky that this happened to be her English edition. He read everything on the page, including her notes, and to his astonishment he was able to grasp what was going on. He managed to read an hour's worth of it, a personal best, before he drifted off into a sleep much like Raven's. As he slept the book silently slipped off his lap.

And wedged itself between the seat and the side of the bus.