"Yo, who had the nerve to go and destroy my car?!" Cyborg stormed into the ops room in a furious state, the clanking of his boots heavy enough to shake the tower. It was about noon, several hours since Cyborg had jumped on the metaphorical ride to go to the movies, and -save for the robotic teenager- everyone was still in the main room. Beast Boy and Robin had engaged in a video game match, Raven was meditating in the corner, and Starfire was playing hide-and-go-seek with Silkie. The larva was surprisingly good at the game, especially since he was so small that he could wriggle into one of the abundant pillows scattered on the floor and disappear.

Each Titan paused in their current tasks to look at the fuming teenager who stood atop the stairs. Gripped tightly in his hand was a piece of broken machinery, and he waved it above his head. "Fess up! Who stole the T-car's transmission?!"

Robin narrowed an eyebrow. "Someone took the transmission? All of it?"

"If only!" Cyborg wailed, stomping down beside the couch to thrust the mangled piece of machinery in his leader's face. "They took half of it! This is the other piece!"

"Uh, 'kay?" Beast Boy shrugged from his seat next to Robin. "Dude, you're a mechanical genius; can't you just build another one in like two minutes? What's the big deal?"

"The big deal is-!" -Cyborg whirled around to Beast Boy-, "-that it's my baby! And it had to be one of you who did it because there have been no intrusion alerts! No bad guy came in and hurt my car; it was one of you!" He scanned the occupants of the room with an accusing eye, zooming in on Raven first. "Raven!" The empath lifted an eyebrow. "Did you do this?!"

Raven shook her head. "What use would I have for half of a car's transmission?"

"Hm…" Cyborg eyed her doubtfully, and then, when she gave no indication of dishonesty, turned to face the two boys on the couch watching him. "And what about you two?"

Robin smiled sympathetically. "Sorry Cyborg. I haven't left the room since this morning's breakfast."

"Ditto, dude," Beast Boy nodded.

Cyborg frowned, unsure if he should believe them or not. The way his suspects were disappearing one by one, that left only Starfire as the culprit. Hesitantly, the robotic teenager moved onto his alien friend. "Star?"

The girl, finding Silkie below a particularly bright orange pillow, scooped him up in her arms and then considered Cyborg's question. "Please, what is a 'transition'? Is it not the process of change? What is it doing in a car?"

Grumbling, Cyborg hugged the half of his car's transmission to his chest and headed for the exit. He called over his shoulder forlornly, "Well, looks like I'm not gonna make it to the movies. I'll be too busy mourning the T-car and making a new transmission."

The doors closed behind him, and Beast Boy shot a glance at Raven. "Looks like it's just us again then. Still up for it?"

"I don't see any reason not to be," the empath replied in monotone, her eyes shut and legs crossed in her meditation pose. Beast Boy grinned, adjusting his body back to face the television, and he and Robin started up their game again. Starfire smiled, watching Raven and Beast Boy. She pet her little worm on the head, and Silkie burped in response, spitting up a small bolt. The alien princess snatched it up, hiding it in the palm of her hand, and then kissed the larva on the top of his head. "My good little bumgorf," she smiled.

"Robin, are you prepared for our date?" Starfire called, knocking on the front of her boyfriend's door. Neither had planned on wearing anything other than their usual uniforms on their outing. Of course they possessed fancy garb, but their everyday clothes were so much more comfortable and there was no real reason not to wear them.

Starfire tapped the door again. "Robin?"

The door slid away, and the boy wonder stepped out. "Sorry about that, Star; I'm ready now."

Starfire smiled, tilting her head. "I am glad. Where is it we are going to go first?"

"Um, I kinda thought you knew?" Robin and Starfire laughed. "Well, why not dinner? I'm feeling a little hungry. We can take the T-car since Cyborg finished repairing it about a half hour ago."

Nodding, Starfire slipped her hand into Robin's, and the two walked down to the garage together. Raven and Beast Boy had teleported away about an hour before to head to the movies without Cyborg to accompany them. Starfire could have sworn she saw a faint smile on the empath's mouth when Beast Boy wished their robotic friend to have a good time fixing the T-car. A half hour later, Cyborg completed reattaching the transmission under his vehicle's hood and went to rot the human half of his brain with video games. Robin doubted that that the robotic teen had even heard when the leader announced that they were going to take the T-car into Jump City.

Minutes later, Robin and Starfire were driving down the road through the city. The car had given them no trouble, and it seemed that Cyborg's work had been successful. As they pulled into the parking lot of a nice little restaurant glowing with lights from the interior, Robin glanced at his girlfriend. "Drove as smoothly as it always has; we'll have to let Cyborg know. It's a shame that someone broke his transmission earlier."

"Yes, it is a shame," Starfire agreed, exiting the vehicle. Robin followed, taking her hand again.

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

Starfire looked at him curiously, pursing her lips. "Robin, are you saying that I was the one to harm Cyborg's 'baby'?"

"I never said that," Robin chuckled, squeezing the alien princess's hand softly. "It just seemed that the timing was very explicit; perfect really for Raven and Beast Boy not to have to go with Cyborg to the movies."

"I do not know what you are implying, Robin," Starfire stated, holding her head high. Hiding a smile, the boy wonder reached the restaurant and pulled open the door for his girlfriend. The couple entered the small building; it was a warm and comfortable space, and also quite bright compared to the darkening sky outside. To Robin and Starfire's surprise, a waiting line for tables had been formed. It wasn't very uncommon, but the two had hoped to miss the dinner rush. The Titans looked at one another, shrugging. They were willing to wait for a table to open up.

A squeal from one of the girls in line made Robin and Starfire rethink their decision. A young teenager with scarlet flowing hair covered her mouth and pointed a trembling finger out at the boy wonder. "Robin's here! In! Here!" The girl jumped out of the line and wrapped her arms around Robin's waist. He and Starfire simultaneously flushed, but for different reasons. Luckily for the girl's sake -since Starfire's eyes had changed drastically into a shade of fiery green- the teenager released Robin quickly. Her face shone. "You probably don't remember, but you saved me once when you were fighting that pink goo monster! I never got the chance to thank you properly!"

"U-Uh," Robin stammered, rubbing the back of his neck. "It was no problem, really."

The girl smiled, hugging him once again, and then finally went back to her spot in line. She had stepped out of place, however, and was forced to retreat to the back, which didn't seem to be much of a problem as she was closer to Robin now. The spikey-haired Titan shifted nearer to Starfire, hooking his arm in hers and avoiding the gaze of the girl behind him in hopes that she would forget about his being there. However, the fuse had been struck, and now anyone with ears had heard the girl's shout. Before Robin knew it, he and Starfire were surrounded by adoring fans, several for Starfire as well as Robin. The Titan leader found himself lifted in the air, supported by the strong hands of the beautiful alien princess. He called up to her.

"You want to head over to the pizza place instead?"

Starfire swooped toward the door, high above the crowd. "That would be preferred, Robin."

"Rae, I don't know what you were worried about; that movie wasn't scary at all!" Beast Boy proclaimed, chewing on what leftover popcorn he'd held onto after exiting the theater.

Raven rolled her eyes, focusing on the sidewalk before them. "Yes; that is why you shrieked like a child and jumped into my lap at the end."

Beast Boy pouted. "I wasn't scared! I… I was just excited that we made it through the movie!"

"Sure."

The movie had gone by without a hitch; Raven had even started to enjoy herself. She and Beast Boy had arrived at Wicked Scary 3 early, and, thanks to the dark theater, no one had taken notice of the two Titans there together. They were luckier than Robin and Starfire in that way. In fact, their outing was off to a much better start than the Titan couple of the year's date. Now that Raven knew what it was like to see a horror film, she was prepared and it wasn't as easy to catch her off guard. The empath had watched the beginning with cautious hesitancy, but when Beast Boy started to lean over and whisper jokes about the poor quality of the film, she found it easier and easier to relax. Eventually she was more at ease than Beast Boy who suddenly became very indulged in the movie toward the middle of the picture. During one particularly frightening part where the Wicked Scary Monster appeared out of nowhere with a crack of lightning, more than half of the theater jumped or screamed, and Beast Boy jolted back in his seat, his hand finding Raven's arm and gripping it tightly. She stiffened but didn't say anything. It took a few minutes for the shape-shifter to realize his hand was still where it was, and when he did, he coughed quietly and retracted his arm, smoothly snatching up some of his popcorn at the same time.

The end of the movie was the most intense, but Raven felt immune to anything that the film had to throw at her. As an empath, her adrenaline came alive when she felt the rush of emotions from other people, and though the theater was filled with a large variety of feelings, Beast Boy's were the strongest. He was right next to her, and somehow his hand had found her arm again, anxiety and excitement seeping out of him. Raven found it was impossible to be scared in such a situation with him by her. The empath honestly kept expecting something to interrupt them, someone like Cyborg to randomly appear in middle of the theater as if by magic and separate her and Beast Boy, but no one came. Raven had even glanced over her shoulder as if to check that no one was coming to sneak up on them. Beast Boy had caught the look and tilted his head at her questioningly, but the girl just shook her head and turned her attention back to the big screen. The shape-shifter had at length relaxed, the final scene of the movie being a small white car driving peacefully away from the beautiful green landscape, when suddenly the monster appeared on the front of the screen with a shriek. Beast Boy had yelped, shooting out of his seat and stumbling into Raven's lap.

"But you had fun, didn't you Rae?" Beast Boy accused with a grin.

Raven stole a glance at him. "It was very enjoyable. I was surprised." Beast Boy smiled pleasantly as she continued. "And I have you to thank for coming with me. Your being there did help keep my powers under control."

"Really?" Beast Boy lifted an eyebrow, crumpling up his popcorn bag and tossing it into a nearby trash can. "But I didn't think I did anything?"

"Just having a friend there was enough to keep me grounded."

Beast Boy smiled at her again, and he'd opened his mouth to speak when a quiet rustle came from the alleyway ahead of them. He paused, turning towards it, and the sound came again, but louder this time. The shape-shifter yipped, ducking behind Raven. She snorted when a gust of wind carried a crinkling paper bag across their path. "Still a little nervous because of the movie I see."

"What? No!" Beast Boy hopped out from behind her, straightening his back. "I just thought it was a bad guy!"

"A criminal who rustles before they attack; whatever shall we do?"

Beast Boy stuck his tongue at her, and the two had only walked a little further when he stopped again. The boy's ears twitched. "Hey, hear that?"

Raven rolled her eyes. "Another rustling villain?"

Beast Boy shook his head, taking a few steps further. "No, it's music!"

"Beast Boy, what are you talking about? I don't hear anything."

The green teenager perked up suddenly. "It sounds like a carnival! See? Over there!" Raven followed his pointing finger into the distance and was surprised to see a few blocks away there was indeed a gathering of rides and stands that very well could be a carnival at the edge of Jump City. She narrowed her eyes at it suspiciously, wondering why such a circus was present in the small metropolis when everyone knew the carnival had been abandoned several years ago. Beast Boy answered her unspoken question a moment later when he spotted bolded words on an overhanging banner. "Happy Birthday Sam. This is a kid's party?!" Beast Boy exclaimed. "We should totally go in!" He whirled around to the skeptical empath behind him. "Don't you want to go to the party, Rae?!"

"Not really."

Beast Boy frowned at her response. "Oh, come on; it'll be fun! We don't even need an invite, see?" He gestured at the banner. "The sign says EVERYONE'S INVITED!" Raven's sarcastic retort was blown away with the summer wind when Beast Boy grabbed her hand and dragged the girl with him toward the music.

If it was a birthday party, the theme was undoubtedly like that of a carnival's. Balloon, food, and impossible game stands were randomly scattered about the grounds, and loud obnoxious tunes burst from speakers above, drown out occasionally by only the voices of the crowd. Of course rides were present, although -much to Beast Boy's disappointment- they were just small kiddy ones instead of thrillers like a roller coaster; none had requirements to be above a certain height. The roller coasters were further off, but when investigated, the rides had remained closed and abandoned. It looked as if Raven and Beast Boy were not the only passerbyers to pique interest at the enormous birthday party; a considerable-sized crowd had gathered, and it was so large that if Beast Boy had not been holding onto Raven's hand, the two Titans would have lost each other. Eventually the pair managed to stumble across a nearly empty location, though they were now deeper in the carnival then before.

"Wow, this place is huge!" Beast Boy gasped, scanning their surroundings. Presently he and Raven were at the back of a colorful tent. Birthday music could be heard from inside. "I didn't think there was gonna be so much stuff here!" Raven grunted, massaging one side of her temple. Beast Boy's ears drooped. "You okay?"

The empath nodded. "There are a lot of people here; it's a bit overwhelming."

"Oh, sorry!" Beast Boy stepped closer to her, eyebrows drawn up in worry. "We can go if you want!"

"I'll be alright."

Beast Boy didn't seem to believe her, tilting toward the girl. "Are you sure? 'Cause I don't want you to have to deal with it if it's too much of a problem. I'm thinking the whole empath thing makes it hard to be here, right?"

"I'm fine, Beast Boy." Dropping her hand, Raven lifted her head to find herself nose-to-nose with the shape-shifter. Her eyes widened, and so did his, for neither had realized how little space was left in between the two. Finding themselves frozen in place, the Titans stared at each other, unsure of what to do. Planning to speak, Raven started to open her mouth, and yet nothing came out. A blush heated her face, and then darkened when she became conscious that she was leaning inch-by-inch closer to him. Her hand, still in Beast Boy's, tightened ever so faintly.

"It's Bweast Boy!" a child squeaked from behind them. Raven and Beast Boy jolted back, releasing hands, and stared at the young girl about the age of five who had somehow managed to sneak up on them. The kid had brown hair that curled nicely down to her tiny shoulders, and she stared up at the heroes before her with excitement in her blue eyes. "And Waven!"

"What did you sway?!" came a different voice.

Raven shuddered as another little head poked her head around the tent corner, followed by another, and then yet another. Before the empath knew it, an army of curious young boys and girls had surrounded her and her green teammate. Children: Raven had had dealings with them in the past. The problem was not that she was scared of them, but instead was that she could not get them to leave her alone, no matter how she tried. Raven inexplicitly shifted closer to Beast Boy.

The group whispered to one another in excitement with bright eyes and wide, awestruck smiles. One particular brave boy scampered up to Beast Boy, stopping just in front of the shape-shifter's feet, and then stared up at him with an open mouth. Without warning, the kid reached out and poked the green Titan's stomach. Exhilaration lit up his face. "He's weal!"

Poor Beast Boy was then subjected to many more little jabbing fingers from the rest of the enthusiastic children. The shape-shifter was fascinating for the young audience; he was green and had super powers that allowed him to change into animals, which is something all kids want to do at one point during their childhood. Beast Boy was like a walking, talking zoo for them. The Titan glanced over his shoulder at Raven for help only to find her a good deal away and watching the scene with a small smirk. Beast Boy pursed his lips in an annoyed manner at his darker friend, causing the empath's mouth to twitch up even higher. She was distracted by a dainty tug on her cape, and Raven looked down by her leg to find the first girl who had discovered the Titans there.

"Just mawking sure you weal too," the child explained.

"Real enough for you?" Raven replied sarcastically, hoping the girl would run on back to Beast Boy. This was not to be, and, staying true to Raven's luck with kids, the child took a liking to her at once. She giggled.

"You a' funny! I Sam!" she introduced, thrusting a hand out to Raven but forgetting how much shorter she was than the empath and ended up offering the handshake to a kneecap. Sam grinned, clasping her fingers together behind her head and tilting back to look above her at Raven. "I glad you a' at my pawty, Waven!"

Raven blinked. "You're Sam?"

"Yep! Yep, yep, Sam!" Sam chanted unnecessarily, and then in a child's impulsive mood swing, she pouted. "Not Samwantha though! Not Samwantha! Mommy only gets to cwall me that, and only when she's weally weally mad!" She peered up at Raven. "You a' not mad at me, wight Waven?"

"I have yet to be," Raven grunted, glancing at the rough cloth of the tent beside her. "You said something about your mom?"

The young girl smiled, showing one of her two front teeth were missing. "Yep! Yep, yep! She 'ave me this pawty as a pwesent for my biwthday! Hey! Waven?"

Raven faced Sam again, dread stirring in her stomach at the expression the child wore. "What?"

"What pwesent did you get me?"

The empath lifted an eyebrow. "Uh, I wasn't aware I had to…" She paused, noting tears welling up in Sam's big blue eyes. "To… get you one present. I couldn't decide. What could you want, considering you've already been given a circus," Raven added on a side note to herself. The girl's parents obviously had nothing else better to do with their money if they were giving their five-year-old daughter a party the size of Africa.

Sam actually appeared to be considering Raven's question, her small eyebrows drawn up in concentration. "Um… I want uh…" She perked up, an idea having struck her. "Waven, what were you doing out 'ere with the gween boy?"

Wary of where this question might lead her, Raven answered in a slow tone, "Talking."

"Af'er that!" The smile on Sam's mouth was almost creepier than Cyborg's when he got a similar idea in his head, which was kind of sad considering one brain was half robot and the other was like that of a five-year-old's. Raven faintly wondered what that said about Cyborg. Sam grinned. "You wa gonna kiss the Bweast Boy, wan't you?!"

Raven stared at the little girl in shock, but her stunned silence lasted but a second when she suddenly heard a chorus of ewws from the listening children by Beast Boy. Several had their tongues stuck out in disgust while others squished their cheeks up in mock "kissy-kissy" faces. The dark sorceress colored a tinge when she realized the kids must have been eavesdropping. Raven glanced at the shape-shifter in mention standing above them; he was staring intently at the ground and his cheeks were burning too.

Sam, hearing no response, at once assumed that she was correct, and let out a laugh. "Waven! Waven!" she squeaked. "Fo' my biwthday pwesent, kiss the gween boy!" This served to amplify the reactions, making Raven and Beast Boy darken another shade and the kids squeal and run in circles and pretend to throw up because they were so grossed out. Raven shadowed her face with her hood, muffling the children's high voices. With Sam pulling on the edge of her cape and repeating, "Waven! Waven!" and the obnoxious squeaking from the kids, it was nearly impossible to think. Thankfully, the empath was as quick with her tongue as she was with her mind, and she took a deep breath, stooping beside the birthday girl.

"You really want me to kiss Beast Boy, Sam?" she inquired quietly. The other children, realizing something was happening, pushed closer so they could hear. On the edge of her vision, Raven noticed that Beast Boy was listening as well.

Sam nodded her head vigorously. "Uh huh! Uh huh, uh huh!"

"Well, however appealing that might seem," Raven stated, keeping her voice monotone, "how about you take a ride around on my… err… magical disk instead?" "Magical" was the magic word, and in an instant, every kid had run up to Raven and was begging to be first, the previous request already forgotten from their goldfish-like attention spans. With an internal breath of relief, the sorceress conjured up a round black platform and helped Sam and a few kids onto it. As she did, Raven found Beast Boy helping beside her.

The scarlet had faded from his cheeks, and now he looked at the empath with a teasing smile. "What's up with this, Rae? You never let me ride on your disk!"

"You're not five, are you?" Raven rolled her eyes, levitating onto her platform beside the children who were practically bouncing with anticipation at the thought of gliding through the evening sky as if on a flying carpet. "This is just to distract them until they find interest in something else."

After several rides over the carnival later, a tired Raven descended her disk to the ground, the children laughing and wide-eyed at the very fast ride. Sam giggled, hanging onto the empath's leg. The birthday girl had been on every flight, but Raven refrained from complaining because she didn't want Sam to bring up her and Beast Boy kissing again. This last trip had been particularly exhausting; the dark sorceress felt like she'd been using her powers straight for over an hour. By now she and Beast Boy had attracted quite a large crowd, many inferring questions or asking about a ride on Raven's disk for themselves no matter the age. Raven outright refused. Work like she was doing was draining enough with little kids; she couldn't imagine how strenuous it would be to carry adults on her magic.

Raven's platform landed on the ground and it evaporated gently into black mist. The children that hadn't bothered wait for her to complete her landing were already running to their parents, many of which had identified their sons and daughters flying above their heads on a black disk and quickly followed the strange sight. The other kids yelped when their feet hit the ground, and likewise scampered off. Raven exhaled, spotting Beast Boy, and automatically began to move in his direction. He was her safe island in this sea of strangers. Yet, she had taken but a few steps when a wave of dizziness swam over her vision, and the dark girl faltered.

Beast Boy had not seen her waver, but animalistic instincts warned him that something was off. Leaving the group of nosy fans, he moved over to her side, a tint of worry in his expression. "What's up? You okay?"

Raven didn't bother hiding it; she knew he could tell that she was bothered. "It's tiring work after so long. I just need a moment."

Much to her dismay, a little brunette girl disagreed. "Waven, Waven! I wan' 'o go up again! Le's go fly!"

The empath sighed, frowning at the headache the childish voice brought and massaging her temples. "Let's not." Sam's eyes bulged out, and in an instant they were glassy with tears. Raven was not about to be swayed as easily this time; she still didn't feel strong enough to go fly about with the child again. Ignoring the pounding at the back of her skull, Raven shook her head. "How about you go ask Beast Boy what he got you for your birthday?" Beast Boy jerked, and then he turned to Raven with a look that asked why she was throwing him under a bus. Metaphorically speaking, of course. The empath continued, "See if he wants to give you a pony ride? Or maybe an elephant ride? Whatever works; it's your birthday."

Sam lit up, whirling around to Beast Boy who had just understood what Raven was asking him to do for her. He blinked a few times before smiling down to Sam. "Well dudet, what'll it be?"

"Pony!" Sam peeped instantly, her mouth open in a wide grin. Beast Boy smirked again, morphing into a stallion. Sam squealed with joy, and, as Beast Boy tossed his green mane, the girl quickly faced Raven. "I like your pwowers too, Waven. Thanks for the wride!" She captured Raven's knee in a fast hug and then scampered off to follow Beast Boy's swishing tail.

"Kids still won't leave me alone," Raven monotoned. "Joy." With a breath of relief, she observed that all the children were currently entertained by Beast Boy prancing in circles, and the empath found a bench to sink into. Hard wood boards had never felt so comfortable before. She leaned back and rested her eyes for a moment in blissful silence.

"Excuse me?"

Raven groaned aloud. "I'm currently busy. Leave a message and don't come back later."

The wooden bench creaked with someone else's weight. "I'm sorry to interrupt you-."

"Then don't."

The person apparently had no ability to detect when their company was unwanted. "-But I wanted to thank you for taking care of my little sister." Raven had to admit that this piqued her interest somewhat, at least enough for her to open her eyes. Sitting on the seat beside her was a teenager slightly older than her with dirty-blonde hair. The corner of his mouth tipped up in a light smile at the empath. "I know how much of a handful Sam can be."

"Yes." Raven decided to leave it at that.

"I'm Cal." Cal smiled again. "I'd offer you a handshake, but I guess it doesn't look like you'd want to be touched right now."

"What was your first clue?"

Cal gave no indication he planned on leaving. He leaned back in his chair, relaxing his arms over the back of the bench. His finger brushed against Raven's cloak. "Sam just disappeared on me; I was watching her, blinked, and the next minute she was gone. I guess Mom's kinda counting on me to keep an eye on Sam since Mom's busy keeping track of everything else around here. We moved in from out of town a few weeks ago. To make up for the move, Mom and Dad rented out the old amusement park here for Sam's birthday. They're thinking about buying it entirely and reopening it. Good thing we've got lots of money, because it looked like stuff was falling apart." He barely paused to take a breath, and Raven wondered if Cal ever stopped talking. Even Beast Boy didn't speak that much. "Good thing Sam's real good at making friends too. Of course the whole rich thing is helpful too, not that it really matters, I guess, but it's cool because she's got lots of people to come to her birthday party." Cal smiled, glancing at Raven to see if she was listening. Nevertheless, he continued. "And while setting up for it earlier, we figured why not invite the entire town? It'll give Mom, Dad, Sam, and me a good opportunity to meet more people. I did get to meet you, I guess." He shrugged. "Though I already knew who you were."

Raven shifted her eyes to the side at him.

Cal faced her, knowing he had the empath's attention. "Well, who doesn't know the Teen Titans? Even before we moved here, our family had heard about you. You've always been my favorite," he added with a smile. Raven regarded him in silence before angling forward again. Cal did too, and he looked at the green horse trotting in circles nearby. Sam squealed happily on the shape-shifter's back. "I'm glad Sam managed to find you before she got into trouble, I guess. Thanks for that. She had fun on your disk ride, so thanks for that too."

Raven dipped her head, the motion so small that it was almost lost. Cal nodded at Beast Boy. "So is he your boyfriend?"

The empath's eyes swiveled to the teenager on the bench quickly. He wore a curious expression, and he wasn't giving off any alarming emotions, but Raven gave a slow answer anyway. "No… We're friends."

"Oh." Cal sounded presently surprised. "I guess I just figured because you two were hanging out at a big carnival together..." The teenager trailed off, running a hand through his hair. "But I guess I can

see why not too. I mean, you two are so different; you're purple and he's green. You're serious and he's funny." Cal leaned closer to Raven, an action that was not missed by the dark girl. "You're pretty… and he's… well… the guy's like a cartoon."

Raven quirked an eyebrow. "Is there a problem with that?"

"No!" Cal assured at once, shaking his head. He coughed, clearing his throat. "I mean, I guess not. I'd just prefer your company."

"Not many people would agree."

"Well, that's their loss. I'd love to go out with you!" Cal flushed, the tip of his nose bright red when Raven turned all the way toward him for the first time since the teenager had started talking. He cleared his throat again. "Which, uh, leads into my question. I was wondering if you'd like to go somewhere with me tomorrow? We could do dinner and a movie, front row seats! Or if you don't want to, then maybe something else? Whatever you'd feel up to, I guess!"

Raven gave a soft sigh, glancing at Cal briefly. "No thanks." She moved back in the seat to her original position, her eyes settling on Beast Boy again.

Cal caught the look. "Oh," he said. "Oh, okay. That's okay, I guess."

He didn't speak, and gave no signal that he was going to, and the chatty teenager's silence made Raven more uncomfortable than his talking had. She waited until she could stand it no longer. "What?"

The blonde boy crossed his legs. "I mean, I kinda figured before. You look at him a little more than friends might, and the way he looks at you too…" Cal trailed off, and for the first time since she'd met this boy who never seemed to stop talking, Raven wanted him to finish his sentence. He did not hear her mute imploration, however, and, flashing the Titan a smile, pushed off the bench to his feet. "It was awesome being able to meet you in person, Raven. See you when you're next saving the city. I guess." Lifting his hand in goodbye, Cal approached Sam and Beast Boy. Having the shape-shifter pause in his trotting for a moment, the brother whispered into his sibling's ear, making her giggle and allowing Cal to lift her off of Beast Boy's back. As he switched into his human form, Cal smiled his thanks at the green teenager who just nodded back wearing a confused expression. Seeing the birthday girl leave with her brother, Sam's friends scampered along behind the siblings to form a small parade of children. The crowd of onlookers was cut in half, many parents leaving with their kids, and soon Raven and Beast Boy were no longer the center of attention.

Beast Boy walked over to his teammate as she stood. "Who was that dude?"

"Sam's brother," Raven replied, breathing a sigh of relief now that the boy and so many other people were gone. Her vision had stopped swimming altogether and she only had a headache now. A painful one, yes, but it was better than two problems. Beast Boy helped as well, seeing how his familiar presence was blocking out a lot of other unacquainted ones.

"Huh." Beast Boy glanced at the disappearing line of people. "What'd he want?"

So he had noticed Cal talking with Raven. "He thanked me for taking care of his sister. And then he proceeded to talk about a long list of things that I ignored," the empath uttered. Beast Boy snorted in amusement.

A baby exiting the current tent next to them in his mother's arms suddenly let out an ear-splitting scream and tightened his little fingers around his blanket. The woman soothed him, petting the boy's hair. "What happened, honey?" She noticed the end of his wet red nose. "Did you get rained on? Why is that scary?" The infant sniffled, incapable of understanding what his mother had said and alarmed at the unintroduced aspect of rain.

Sure enough, a storm had snuck up on the Titans and everyone at the carnival, and in moments, heavy rain was pouring down buckets on the party. Raven adjusted her hood around her head, and she and Beast Boy retreated under a nearby tent. While the small shelter was not waterproof, it did get them out of the rain, and the green teenager beside Raven peered out at the clouded dusky sky. "Y'know, I'm kinda glad it started raining." Raven gave him a quizzical look. "I mean, there are so many kids here! I mighta had to give more pony rides!"

The empath rolled her eyes, watching the water pour down around them. Luckily for the two, the rain lasted only a few minutes, and once it disappeared, she and Beast Boy decided to head for home before the weather decided to take another turn. However, they'd been walking for but a block or two when the storm returned, this time with a vengeance. As if to punish the Titans for hiding in their dry tent earlier, the rain pelted down even harder than before, thoroughly soaking Raven and Beast Boy within moments of its starting. This time there was no shelter in sight, seeing as the stores and buildings nearby were closed so late in the day, and the teenagers could do nothing but push ahead. Night had fallen, not that one could tell because clouds were hiding the sky from view, and Raven and Beast Boy trudged together through the torrent of water from above. The idea of teleporting home was out of the question; Raven was still exhausted from giving rides to the little kids. She couldn't even conjure a shield to hide under, and thus the cold water sent shivers down her spine.

Beast Boy squinted at her through the downpour, blinking away water. "Raven? You don't look too good."

"What would you expect?" Raven tried to snap back, but fatigue drained the irritation from her voice. "It's raining, I'm soaked and exhausted, and we're a long way from home. Of course I don't look 'too good'."

"But no," Beast Boy shook his head, water bouncing off of his green hair. "It's not that." He stopped, making Raven halt too, and the boy moved in toward her, lifting up her hood enough to see her face. His mouth tightened uneasily. "You're paler, Raven." Raven closed her eyes as he touched her forehead. "And you're really hot too."

"I'm alright. Let's just go home," she insisted, exhaling. If he was wondering why she was hot, maybe he shouldn't have put his hand on her head. The dark girl had started walking forward when she realized Beast Boy had not moved and was looking at her with concern. She sighed again. "What?"

Beast Boy stepped over to her again. "Maybe we should just find a place to wait out the storm…"

"Why?" Raven grunted.

"Because you're making me worried!" he blurted out. Raven squinted at him, her pains momentarily forgotten. The shape-shifter went on without waiting for a response. "Dude, you're tired, paler than usual, and you're not using your powers! I'd think that with rain like this you'd wanna use your magic to teleport home or at least make a shield thing to hide under! You can't just pretend nothing is wrong!" He stopped, frowning at his teammate, soaked green hair sticking to his face. Raven opened her mouth, unsure of what to say, when a car drove by and showered the sidewalk with water. It barely missed the Titans, and Raven pulled away from it, her arm brushing against Beast Boy's. The car slowed, shifted into reverse, and gradually rolled back to the Titans. The window opened a little to reveal Starfire and Robin seated inside.

"Friends! What might you be doing out in the rain?" Starfire exclaimed, her bright eyes shining in the dark lighting.

Robin leaned forward over the steering wheel to see his teammates on the sidewalk. "Why didn't you teleport home by now?"

Beast Boy smiled, his previous serious personality having vanished. "Oh, y'know, just out for a walk in the rain, dude. Thought it'd be fun."

Robin's mask creased, disbelieving. "And is it?"

"It's more than we bargained for," Beast Boy admitted, glancing at Raven. Her expression was dull and unreadable beneath her dark hood. The shape-shifter nudged her with his elbow. "But now I think we'd like a ride home."

"Hop on in," Robin offered, and Raven and Beast Boy entered the vehicle, both relieved to be out of the rain at last. Raven was in the middle, and, leaning back against the soft seat, she closed her eyes. Beast Boy had been right; she wasn't feeling well. The weather combined with her weakened state due to such strenuous use of her powers was enough to make her want to pass out. Wishing to fulfill this desire, the girl focused on her breathing, the lull of Robin and Starfire's quiet voices in the front, and the low rumble of the T-car as it started toward the tower. Before long, she was in a very nearly comatose state, the only thing keeping her awake being the worry that emanated off of Beast Boy. Sitting right behind Robin, the shape-shifter continued to glimpse at his darker friend every so often, shifting position anxiously.

Raven blinked a few times, looking at him out of the corner of her eye, and then she allowed her head to droop to the side, resting it on his shoulder. Beast Boy stiffened in surprise at the contact, and he glanced down at Raven. She exhaled softly, closing her eyes and relaxing, submerging herself in the flood of emotions that ran off of him.

"U-uh, Rae?"

"Hm?"

"Are… you awake?" he asked unnecessarily.

"Mhm."

"Okay, just checking," he murmured quietly to match the gentle drone of the car's motor. Raven breathed out again, sinking into a deep sleep moments later. Beast Boy watched the girl, her shoulders rising and falling with each breath, and then, feeling as timid as a mouse, he moved his arm back. His gloved hand ran over the seat, finding the slim gray fingers resting in between them on the cushion, and ever so slowly Beast Boy slipped his hand over hers. When she didn't react in any way, the shape-shifter eased up, a small smile pulling at his mouth.

In the driver's seat of car, Robin happened to glance back and notice the restful scene. He turned to Starfire, nodding at his girlfriend, and the alien princess looked over her shoulder. A light beam spread across her face, and she clutched her hands together at the sight of Raven asleep on Beast Boy, the green teenager starting to doze off as well. Like everyone else in the vehicle, Robin was wearing a smile too. Some people were easier to read than others, and the two in the back were opening up like a book.

Bit of a shorter chapter, but I'm assuming you guys won't mind.

In a quick announcement, I've put up another poll, and though this one is going to help me decide what my next story is going to be, it's going to be set up in a different way. I have so far written basically all humorous stories, but I never considered whether or not you guys would like to read something else. I've started a few that are somewhat serious, humorous, and in between. I'd love it if you would take a few extra clicks of the mouse to let me know your opinion. Thanks, and please don't forget to review!