Hello everyone. I'm very sorry for the delay but here is the next chapter and I can only tell you we're finally approaching an ending.
enjoy.
Chapter 56. Guilty?
It was early morning, right before dawn when Raven woke up. She felt exhausted and sore in places she had no idea could hurt in such way. Her head felt heavy and her mind clouded which made her not entirely sure what had happened. She was laying on her left side and her head tilted towards the door. There was a faint light coming in from the hallway, probably one of the windows giving way to the outside lighting.
She tried to look around but it was still too dark so, with a lazy wave of her hand, a single candle on the dresser lit up. She blinked a couple of times before focusing on something specific then looked just beyond her bed and the sight astonished her. The mayhem in her room was incredible as if literally a tornado had hit it. She was tempted to light more candles when something else caught her attention. An arm lazily tighten its hold on her bare stomach under the covers.
She froze and held her breath as she heard a soft, almost non existent snore. She dared not look but waited long enough until whoever was at her side was not about to wake up. She didn't wait long, soon she heard the steady breathing of someone deeply asleep and slowly moved the arm off of her. As she did so, she tried to sit but once in a upright position, the sheet slid off her body, revealing bare breasts with their tips hardening as soon as they came in contact with the sudden chill.
She slid off the bed and sure enough, she was completely naked. With a gasp, she hastily tried to cover herself, all soreness forgotten. She looked around and tried to find her cloak but the mess around her made it more difficult. The chill her body was exposed to gave her traces of memories. The bone chilling cold and then the numbness that came with it. The faint voice of a certain being trapped in a book advising her to meditate before it was too late but when she looked around, the magic book was no where to be found.
After a few silent steps, she came across her leotard which she slipped into as fast as she could and as she pulled the zipper on her back, she scan her surroundings with her eyes in search of her cloak then her memory juggled some more as she made an effort to make sense of her current situation. Then, she remembered someone else in the room, trying to keep her warm amidst the unnatural cold wind, a familiar voice that in many ways made her feel safe but then, a thought crossed her mind as she looked towards her bed at the man under the covers Robin or…
Her eyebrows lifted and her eyes were as wide open as humanly possible No, it cant be… she thought to herself again as panic started to make her tremble. Finally, she spotted her cloak and pulled it off the floor when something fell, something that had been tangled in her garment and before it hit the floor, it was encased in her dark energy and made it turn slowly. She didn't have to turn it al the way, for she already knew what was on it "Oh Azar, what have I done".
She was falling into full panic now and the books and other artifacts started to shake, creating a low rumble in the room. The man under the covers started to stir and before he woke up, she put out the candle and disappeared in a portal melting on the ground.
…
…
The maternity wing at the Jump City Hospital had seen happier times, but why wouldn't it be if it's the place where life begins and lives are changed forever but, even though the last two remarks were true, this time, it also made way to grief and mourning,
Dr. Abigail Thorns was the doctor on duty when Leonore called. She had met the young prodigy in the many scientific conferences they had attended over the years and soon had arranged a private delivery room and incubator for the oncoming patient which, surprising enough, was being delivered by no other than the Titans.
Leo had reiterated not to have a full staff but only the necessary personnel as the patient suffered from a rare condition that only Cyborg and herself knew about and had been providing a treatment for.
Dr Thorns didn't ask questions other than to make sure whatever condition the young woman had wasn't contagious so as not to risk the other patients. Leo assured her she had nothing to worry about in that regard but privacy and anonymity were very important. And sure enough, Dr thorns was expecting them on the roof of the hospital with two nurses who were astonished the moment they saw the towering metal man as he carried the unconscious woman, but refrained themselves from overreacting at the presence of the rest of the team.
As soon as Cyborg placed Meliah on the bed, they all run to the elevator to the level below and started the surgery. Beast Boy had arrived then. Starfire had taken him to the waiting area as there was nothing else they could do but wait.
At some point, Leonore had come out of the operation room and told them that even though the baby had been successfully delivered, she was weak. She was barely seven months in gestation and with the stress Meliah had been under, not mentioning her condition, the baby somehow was overwhelmed by it but thankfully, was stable enough and if she survived the night, then she would ok.
When Garfield asked about Meliah, he was told she was in life support. Dr Thorns, along with Cyborg and Leonore had been able to get her heart going, oxygen in her lungs and her blood running. It had been necessary in order to deliver the baby safely but now, there wasn't much they could do for her.
"…right now, even though her condition has somehow stopped, its not improving either. Medically she's stable but… there is nothing else we can do for her" said Leonore before returning to the operating room. Garfield was devastated to say the least and when Dr Thorns came out ,she suggested to call Meliah's closest relative as there were decisions that none of her friends could take for her.
Garfield remembered Meliah's mother was still in Gotham and called Robin so he could make the arrangements for her to come to Jump City. Thankfully Robin was already on his way back to the tower and he promised to take care of it.
Garfield closed his communicator and closed his eyes tight while Starfire held him. That's when his communicator rang again, when he flipped it open, he could barely see anything on the screen and the noise was making him uneasy.
"Raven?" he asked, he had seen who was calling but got no immediate response. Until…
"Kid, Raven is not well, she needs you…" said the thief in a hurry right before something exploded.
"Raven… is she ok? What's going on?" Garfield asked more urgently.
"Stop asking questions Beast Boy, just come to the tower …NOW!" then the screen went dark and the call was cut.
"Friend Beast Boy, do you need my assistance?"
"No Star, I have to take care of this myself, tell Leo I'll be back later, Raven needs me" and he turned into a humming bird then left through a window, once outside, he turned into a pterodactyl and headed towards the tower.
…
…
Raven opened her eyes to the familiar sight of the eerie, dark sky and rocky terrain. Her mind seemed in an enigmatic chaos and yet there was certain peace among the disturbance. She didn't want to dwell much on that fact until she got some answers. Anyone that could explain what exactly had happened as she had almost no memory of the night before and what she did remember was disturbing beyond sanity but, for some reason, there was no one in sight.
So she decided to stop her blind goose chase and simply wait. She didn't have to wait for long for a second later after she closed her eyes, she felt trembling arms surround her. She didn't have to guess which one of her emotions that one was.
"Raven… what have we done?" Timid finally asked after her sobs subsided. Raven opened her eyes and slightly padded the girl's shoulders before gently pushing her away with a slight frown.
"You mean you don't know?… how is that possible?"
"I-I don't know. All I remember was the cold wind blowing, then I felt numb and then nothing. I remember nothing else. I woke up when you did this morning. Rae? What are we going to do? How are we going to tell Gar?" the sobbing mess in front of Raven wrapped her arms around herself and started to take shaky breaths in the failed attempt to calm herself. Raven had to look away as she was starting to feel just as panicked.
"I don't know" Raven whispered to herself. Then in a sudden after thought "Where are the others? Why cant I find them?"
"We are here. Dormant…in a way" came the composed voice of the one in yellow, but what caught Raven by surprise was the fact that this particular presence had two sets of red glowing eyes. She didn't seem upset but the sight was odd enough.
"Are you ok?" asked Raven.
"I think so. It is all so very… odd"
"How did this happened? Did Rage do this to you? Where are the others?"
Knowledge seemed distracted and took her time to respond. "Rage seems to be no longer here… at least I do not sense her as I used to"
"Not here? How is that possible? Did she merge with you?"
"No. that would be quite impossible. Rather… this is the effect of a cause. The moment you acknowledged how the black magic's power affected you, it gave way to Rage take matters in her own hands. Not much we could do to stop her" Knowledge said in her matter-of-fact tone.
"Then how come.., its me who woke up. Not her. Me. Naked. Next to…" but she couldn't finish. Even remembering and talking about it out loud with herself made it all the more embarrassing.
"He was able to… satisfy us enough to bring us back to sanity"
"Sanity? You call this sanity?" Raven asked more annoyed than anything else before sitting down on the ground. The others just followed.
"It is better that the possible outcome"
"Where is Rage now?"
"Like I said, apparently no longer here. What is it that you need from her?"
"Answers. I remember nothing beyond the freezing wind that invaded my room. Why is that?"
"Those are Rage's own memories. She is after all the other half of who you are. Her memories are just as strong as your own and unless you interact with her, you will not remember easily" Knowledge said with a trace of a malicious smile that Timid couldn't help but notice.
"You're scaring me" Timid whimpered trying to hide behind her mistress. It was then that Knowledge shook her head in an attempt to forgo of the daze she was feeling in and after blinking a few times, her eyes returned to normal and the second pair disappeared and as she adjusted her glasses, she said
"Forgive me Timid, I did not mean to frighten you but the effects of black magic are quite powerful. Raven, the others should wake up soon"
"Right now, the only one I'm interested in is Rage. She cannot be gone, that's impossible"
"Forgive me, I believe I misunderstood at the moment. She's not gone per se but… subdued. Satisfied in a demon way"
"You're talking in riddles, give me a straight answer" commanded Raven feeling her patience run precariously thin when from a dark pool on the ground, Rage emerged with a smirk.
"Did you summon me?" to this, Raven quickly got up and with a pronounced frown she demanded her answers.
"You!, What did you do?"
"Nothing that he couldn't handle. I must say, there was no better choice than him… he's very… very well endowed. wouldn't you agree?" Rage taunted.
"What you did was unforgivable …"
"Oh c'mon Raven, don't tell me you didn't enjoy yourself…I know I did as well as I know he'll have no complains in the matter"
"Shut up! Shut up!" Raven said as she covered her ears. She had been trying to tap into her memories but Rage was still too strong and the only images she was able to sense and feel was the moment of the rupture of her virginity, and as she opened her eyes to the sight of the city on the early morning, she heard the malicious chuckling of Rage as she said "He was finally mine" and her voice faded in the depths of her mind at the sound of the familiar ringing of her communicator broke the silence.
…
…
Garfield stir and slowly opened his eyes and found that there was already daylight. He sat, rubbed his eyes for a moment then, he simply looked at his surroundings trying to get a hold of his bearings and sanity remembering every detail that had brought him to this point.
The day before had been stressful to say the least. So many things had happened and so little time to take everything in. His head felt heavy for a moment. His mind was tired and overwhelmed. In between thought, memories of nightmares and memories of sweet dreams that swim around his head competing for his attention, there was only one constant thought that kept him sane. Raven.
Slade was now a young fellow that didn't seem to be as dangerous as before and was no longer a priority. Sure he had wanted to kill him but, after Raven had been able to reason with the Beast about his actions and priorities, his wild alter ego had understood reason and convinced him that a kill would not bring back the dear one.
Garfield scoffed to himself at that. It was almost incredible the effect Raven had on him and his own wild, animal side. He owed her so much and sadly he realized the night before, that he had repaid her with so little. He loved her to no end and had tried to show her just that, more than once, in so many ways but, even he knew one night wasn't enough.
He started to wonder where she was at the moment when his communicator went off. He looked and fumbled around the bed in search for the annoying device until he found it under the bed. When he flipped it open, he was met by a frowning Cyborg.
"Hey B, I was starting to get worried, what took you so long?"
"I'm fine. Is everything ok? Are they ok?"
"Yes. There is a slight improvement on the baby. Thought you might want to know that"
"That's great news Cy… what about…"
"Much the same I'm afraid. By the way, her mother arrived a few hours ago, she wants to see you"
Garfield closed his eyes for a moment trying to swallow the knot that was on his throat before answering. "Tell her I'll be there in a few minutes" he said quietly and closed the communicator. He looked for his clothes and after dressing and a quick run to the bathroom, he got out of the window and flew away towards the hospital.
…
…
Raven emerged from the portal on the rooftop of the hospital. Robin was already waiting for her. She found him leaning against the wall next to the elevator door with his arms crossed over his chest, deep in thought. She came to stop before him.
"Is everything ok?" he asked, pushing himself off the wall. Raven frown at the question. Was it possible he knew what happened and with who?
"What do you mean?" she asked without betraying her inner turmoil. He started to pace.
"Do you remember what happened last night?"
"To a certain extend. Why? Is there something you know about last night? She asked with a certain edge to her tone.
"No, no… I don't know the details. All I know is that after the ritual you were not feeling… yourself."
She narrowed her eyes. She could tell he knew more than what he showed but as it was, she was still too perturbed to pursue the issue at the moment. At least not until she knew the details.
"I'm fine. Can we go inside now? I need to see Gar"
Robin nodded once and both boarded the elevator in silence, once the doors close, Raven asked how was the situation.
"The baby has improved to a point but Leo thinks that Meliah's speculation about the baby being safe from her condition is wrong. There are tell tale signs of a possible accelerated metabolism. If it continues to escalate, then she wont be able to survive it."
The elevator doors opened and they walked towards the waiting area and Raven could only sense the pain and sorrow from the ones within. It was overwhelming. She had to stop a few feet from the room. When Robin asked if she was ok, she dismissed his question with one of her own.
"What about Meliah?"
"She's on life support. Between Leo and Dr Thorns they were able to get her heart going in order to deliver the baby, her condition is not improving and there is nothing else they can do for her".
Raven sighed, she could only imagine what that meant for Garfield. With a final, steadying breath, she walked in the direction of the ICU. She found Garfield at the far end with his arms around an older woman standing by the bed where Meliah was. His ears tingled at her presence and when he turned around, she could see his eyes red from crying. He gave her a weak smile and politely let go of the woman and met Raven in the middle of the room with a hug.
"I'm so sorry Gar" she whispered in his ear and she heard him sniff and his body tensed trying not to cry again. When he let go, a runaway tear was making its way down his left cheek that she gently wiped off with her hand. He grabbed it, placed a kiss on it and simply held it there against his cheek and as he closed his eyes, more tears escaped.
"Leo came by a few minutes ago. She said there is nothing else they can do for her and that… we might have to… consider…pulling the plug" he whispered as he didn't trust his voice at the moment and almost choked on his own words.
"Oh no" was all Raven could say. He recovered as best he could and pulled her towards the woman quietly sobbing in front of the bed.
"You remember Meliah's mom, right?" he asked as he pulled her.
"Dr Simmons, do you remember…"
"Raven, of course I do. You saved my life and I never had the chance to thank you" the older woman said in an attempt to smile but her pain was to great to ignore and as her eyes trailed once more to her daughter, she said "Although now I feel like dying with her so she will no longer be alone"
"Dr Simmons, I am really sorry for what happened to Meliah. I cant help but feel responsible" the older woman lifted her eyes to de sorceress and with a morose smile, she padded Raven's hand.
"There was nothing you could have done dear. I already heard, in as many details as I could bear, how all this happened. I just hope my granddaughter survives, she'll be the only thing I'll have left from my dear girl. Have you met her yet? She's in the next room… Garfield, take Raven to meet her, I need…. I need some time alone if you don't mind"
Once outside the ICU, they walked slowly towards the next room a few feet away in silence when Garfield grabbed her hand and stopped her in front of the door and without a word, he pulled her into a hungry, passionate kiss that caught her by surprise. When he pulled away, he was met by her questioning eyes.
"Bade, I know I promised you to spend more time with you and for all the wasted time I would make it up to you but, I only need a little time to get through this, then I'll be all yours"
"Gar, what are you talking about? I have never… Gar, I don't think you have wasted your time, she needed you more, I understand that" Raven was confused now but couldn't get her head straight to figure it out.
"I know you do babe and I love you so much more for that but, I just wanted you to know my plan" he said and placed a chase kiss on her lips. "Did you get a chance to eat?"
"um…no, have you?"
"Star has been taking care of all of us. She's made sure everyone ate and had a fair amount of sleep while waiting. Cy left a few minutes ago to recharge, he should be back this afternoon. Why don't you go inside and meet her while I go get you something. I'm sure they have tea and I'll get something else."
"You want me to go in there by myself? But that's Meliah's daughter. What if she inherited her animal senses and she gets afraid of me and accelerate her condition and…"
"Rae, relax. I asked Leo that. She said she's still too small and too weak to develop any powers of that nature but if she does get afraid, don't worry, her daddy is there to protect her which, by the way, I'm sure he'll be happy to see you"
After he said this, he gave her another quick peck on the lips and left almost running down the hallway without giving her time to respond and for a moment Raven felt guilty again. So, after another deep sigh, she entered the room where a single incubator with a baby lay in the middle and a single visitor leaning against the clear surface that surrounded the baby and his hand was inside a small opening, gently holding a tiny hand.
Raven walked silently towards the man and for a moment, she didn't recognize him. Dark, reddish hair, the trace of a beard and was wearing civilian clothes but when he turned her way and smiled, she had no doubt who it was. Michael got up and immediately placed a quick peck on the cheek and hugged her.
"Hey beautiful, how are you feeling?" she reluctantly returned the hug briefly but then gently pushed him away.
"Michael, about last night…"
"Last night was… wow, interesting and unexpected but I have no complains" he said with another smile. She winced at his words, she didn't know if she should feel upset or simply ashamed but before she could muster a word, he pulled her towards the incubator.
"Come and meet Victoria" he said proudly and as Raven got closer, the baby stir weakly which made Raven freeze in her spot but soon, and to her relief, the little baby fell sleep again.
"Victoria?" she asked without taking her eyes off her. The baby had thin but black hair and the split moment she opened her eyes, they were as blue as Michael's.
"Yes, Mrs Simmons and I named her this morning. Leo said if she survived the night, she would be ok and she did. One victory on our belt"
"You look different" she said after a moment.
"You mean you didn't notice last night?" he said with a smile and an arched eyebrow.
"Not particularly. Where were you all this time?"
"I told you, I wanted to change my look, no need for my own daughter to think I'm anything like that stuck up Richard Grayson that appears on tv. Besides, I had a final job and some loose ends to tie… don't worry, nothing too drastic. You kids wont have to worry about catching me robbing a bank anymore… or anything else for that matter"
"Oh"
He chuckled softly. There was definitely something different about him now. He came closer and pulled her chin up a bit to face him. He looked into her eyes and sighed softly. " You know that I think you are one of the most beautiful women I have ever met, right? And you can tell I've had a serious crush on you but, I have to tell you, I'm in love with someone else now, in a way I never thought possible and I'm sorry to say but… there cannot be anything between you and me. I cant let my daughter know I had an affair with a soon to be married woman so, I'll be grateful if you keep it only between you and me"
"What?" Raven asked more confused than before. It sounded like… "Are you… breaking up… with me?" she asked with an arched eyebrow.
At that moment, Starfire walked in with a tray of food and handed it to Michael with a smile.
"Thanks gorgeous, you're the best" he said, took the tray and sat back down in front of the incubator. Both girls watched in silence until Starfire asked quietly "Did he do the breaking up with you as well?"
"Yes, I think he did" they look at each other and started to giggle right before Garfield showed up with a tray with a cup of steaming tea and some fruit.
"I'm glad you ladies are taking the break up this good"
"You knew about this?" Raven asked as she took the cup. He smiled.
"Yes,. Leo said as soon as he met Victoria for the first time, he told her he had to break up with you two and me and Robin would be left to pick up the pieces… the guy has some nerve. By the way, Star, Robin was looking for you" Star nodded once and after placing a hand on Michael's shoulder, she left the room.
Garfield took a last look at the sleeping baby over Michael's shoulder and then he pulled Raven outside and suggested a walk before returning with Dr Simmons.
…
…
"This is impossible" said young Slade as he threw away the papers he had been reading along with a series of pictures Robin had handed him.
"Why are you doing this? Why do you want me to remember something like that?" he was really upset.
"I don't want you to but, it was part of the deal we made with you… the older you before the ritual" said Robin as he tried to explain himself. Slade had given him a stack of pictures and papers before they left to perform the ritual. He had thought of everything before asking Raven to help him with his… portal problem. The only thing he didn't take in consideration was the will to remember he would have to have in order to return to his older, evil self.
"If you don't then why do it anyway"
"I told you. It was a deal"
"But you're talking to me now, the me that wants nothing to do with that"
"Slade…"
"If I have to remember to become that, then I rather not. I have a chance to do good, to become someone else not this… depraved, sociopath criminal… no Robin. I refuse to force myself to remember and that's final." he said and ripped the last papers in his hands and walked away.
In a way, Robin was relieved. Maybe there was a chance to redeem the criminal.
…
…
Slade walked down the hallway a few doors down and walked into one of the waiting rooms and was ready to prepare something hot to drink when he heard someone sniff behind a bending machine near the window. He walked in that direction and when he came around the corner, he found Leo. Her eyes red from crying who knows how long.
"Miss Leonore? Are you alright?"
Leo looked away from the window and after failed attempts to remain calm, she started tear up again and tried to turned around. Slade simply pulled her to him and held her tight while she cried.
"This is one of the reasons why I'm not this kind of doctor. Giving that kind of news to the families… admitting I cant do nothing else for their loved ones and see them crumble… makes me feel so useless" she said when she finally calmed herself down.
"Knowing that you did everything you could should give you some kind of peace"
"You're right, it should… but it doesn't" she said and as she pushed herself from his shoulder, and against her better judgment, she looked into his eyes and for a moment couldn't help but simply lean in and kiss him.
…
…
"Gar, I have to tell you something…" Raven said as they walked down the hallway. They had been holding hands up until that moment. The entire time she had been wanting to tell him what happened the night before… she just didn't know how. When they came to a stop however, it happened to be right in front of the waiting area where Leo and Slade were. When they entered, the first thing that caught their attention, was the embraced couple. They were speechless and astonished beyond reason and neither one knew what to think.
The last thing Slade remembered was being tossed across the room in a dark force field before a sharp bear paw and teeth ripped a chunk of the bending machine he had been standing next to.
…
…
Two days later
"Its just too weird Rae" said Beast Boy while he held an ice pack against the side of his head. He still couldn't believe that such petite woman that had never been in combat, packed such mean kick. The last thing he remembered was a screaming Leonore that, after calling him out by his entire name, had pushed him against the wall as soon as he turned back human and somehow, she had managed to kick him and even forbid Raven to heal his bruises until she was thru with him and surprisingly enough, Raven had simply agreed.
"I don't know what to tell you Gar. I can sense what he feels and believe it or not, he isn't lying and neither is she" Raven said while brushing a lock of his hair away from his eyebrow. They were both sitting in the waiting area while Gar watched as Leo giggled at something young Slade said in her ear while making themselves a cup of hot chocolate.
Robin had been just as speechless when he found out and he just sat on the couch, arms crossed, shaking his head in disbelief.
That afternoon, Dr Simmons came in the waiting area looking for Raven and asked to have a private word with her in Meliah's ICU.
Raven could sense certain uneasiness from the older woman. She watched her stand very still next to her daughter while holding her hand as if she didn't want to miss the moment Meliah woke up.
"Raven, I'll get straight to the point. I want to ask you personally to help me get Meliah back"
"Mrs Simmons…"
"Please let me finish dear girl. I speak as a desperate mother, I know she's in there still. Alone, afraid and I know you're not a mother yet and perhaps you cannot understand my pleas but I ask you… no, I beg you to please use your powers once more and help me get my girl back…"
"Ma'am… its just…"
"If its money that you require I'll be more than glad to give you everything I have, just…"
"No Mrs Simmons, that's not at all what I'm trying to say. I would never take your money or anybody's for saving a life…"
"Then what is it dear girl? I've seen what you can do and I've heard a great deal more of what you're capable of just…please. Try once more. Being told that is in my hands to decide whether my daughter lives or not is not something a mother should have to go thru and even if I decide against it, this…is not living. Not for her or me, not mentioning my granddaughter. This not a feeling I wish on anyone. This is not a situation I wish for anyone to experience and you're my last hope"
"Very well…I'll do what I can" was all she could say and saw how a mother's eyes water in the sign of hope."