Chapter 58. Love and trust.
Raven shook her head at the memories. So vivid, so real. She opened her eyes and looked at Garfield but he was avoiding eye contact. Michael walked back inside the room to give them privacy.
"Gar… I'm sorry but how was I supposed to know. I had no memory of it and Rage avoided me like the plague … until now"
"And when I kissed you that morning, here , in front of this room, you didn't remember then?"
"I was confused Gar. Afraid. If what I thought was actually true, how was I going to tell you? Besides, you never mentioned a word. Michael was the one making comments every time he could"
"Because… I didn't want you to think I took advantage of you Rae. I saw Rage before, when Meliah first came to the tower, I knew you wouldn't remember" he said a bit sheepishly.
"What? You did? When exactly?" she narrowed her eyes. So there was more she didn't know about and he was keeping it a secret.
"Earlier on the day Red X first came. I was in your room with…" he stopped when he saw her lift an eyebrow. "Nothing happened then, I swear.. She wanted to but I told her no and the other one said not to worry that unless you interact with Rage you wouldn't know about it…"
"The other? What other? How many more of my emotions have you met before I took you back to Nevermore?"
"It doesn't matter"
"It does matter Gar. I thought I spent the night with the wrong man and all because the half that makes me a demon has a mind of her own…" she stopped there when she realized she was almost shouting then, closed her eyes and let out an exasperated breath but she opened her eyes when he took her hands but didn't look up and only whispered "I'm sorry Gar"
Garfield let go of her hands only to gently take her chin and make her look at him. "Hey" he whispered. He was so close that she could feel the heat of his body take over her own while he wrapped his arms around her and his warm breath caressed the skin of her neck while he whispered close to her ear "No harm done" as she closed her eyes in delight.
Then, he traced her jaw line with light but warm kisses until he reached her lips and with slow and sensual moves took her mouth in an erotic swirl of memories as the warmth of his breath reminded her of … the heat that spread over her while he suckled on one of her breasts with gentle thrusts until she moaned and asked him to go faster and harder.
Raven felt a jolt run thru her and shivered in pure delight at the memory. A moan escaped her and felt her knees buckle but his hold on her was stronger and Gar pulled her tighter against his body. He could feel his own heart run faster and the warmth of her body had certain effects on his own. With his own memories invading his better judgment, he pushed her slowly against the wall while Raven wrapped her arms around his neck and somehow, managed to whisper "Would it be a bad time to tell you that I want you right now?" Raven looked into his eyes dilated in animal desire at the idea and with that she opened a portal behind her and pulled him in and disappeared.
Michael had come back out but had stopped at the door when he saw them in such intimate embrace. He didn't hear what she said but by the looks of if, he didn't need to so, went back inside with a smirk under his mask.
Meanwhile, Ravager was only now waking up and unfortunately for her, a headache had made its presence known the moment she opened her eyes and had to close them again and was faintly aware of muffled voices nearby and tried to focus her attention on the conversation. The trace of a familiar voice lingering in her mind.
"… and there is no way I will let her near you" said Leo.
"Leonore, I have to find out why is she here" he said softly, almost tenderly.
"I don't want to lose you to her…" Leo started to say when a movement caught her eye and immediately aimed her gun at the girl.
"Don't even think about it" Leo threatened with a glare. Slowly, Ravager got on her feet without looking away while Starfire landed silently behind her and grabbed her hands and held them in a tight grip. She smiled maliciously remembering the conversation.
"Doctor, doctor… I should have known you were involved in this. Why do you try to keep him from me… you know he'll come to me eventually. I knew back then you had a thing for him, Which it's kind of sick ,you know? The guy is in his forties and you?… damn, you look like barely out of the school room."
"That is not of your business. The only thing you need to know is that he doesn't need you anymore"
"You cant just flip a switch and make him forget what he is, doctor. Or wait… is it father figure you're looking for? Or a sick fantasy of things you could do with your own father…" she smiled that cynic smile again taunting her and Leo prepared the gun and was ready to press the trigger when Jericho stood in between the gun and his sister shaking his head no with pleading eyes.
"Move Joey. Let her. She doesn't have the guts" said Ravager in an annoyed tone but he simply looked over his shoulder and shook his head again.
"Leo, you don't have to do this. There are other ways to deal with her, don't soil your hands with her blood, is not your call whether she leaves or not" said Robin trying to defuse the tension but Leo's glare never left the girl's eyes. Never flinched.
"But was it hers a year ago? If it wasn't for Slade that ordered her not to kill me, she wouldn't have stopped at nothing"
"And I should have kill you back then and none of this would have happened" Ravager interrupted and tried to free herself from whoever was holding her captive but found it a useless try when the Tamarenean never even made an effort to contain her.
"Rose, you're not helping yourself. Your situation is precarious at the moment, if I were you I would keep my mouth shut" said Robin.
"But you're not bird boy and don't call me that" Ravager said with a glare to the leader over Jericho's shoulder then with her leg, tried to push her brother to the side not too gently "I told you to move Joey, I don't need you to protect me"
But then she noticed someone else in the room, someone behind Leonore that had an arm wrapped around her stomach and his other hand sliding slowly on her outstretched arm until he reached the gun.
Slade tried to be as gentle as possible so as not to startle the offended young doctor and whispered in her ear "Leonore, please don't do it. don't become what I used to be" he felt her tremble. He knew she was angry but there was no way he would allow her to become a criminal, a killer. He was relieved when very slowly, Leo loosened her grip on the gun and he took it away and handed it to whoever was behind him then turned Leo around and wrapped his arms around her tightly while she calmed herself down.
Ravager observed this with great curiosity. The effect the young man had on the doctor was incredible and even thought to herself she wouldn't mind having him to herself. He was handsome and his voice was so sensual and compelling and… there was something familiar about him. She tilted her head as she plainly stared and scrutinized his every feature. That's when he turned his face to her with a slight frown as if reprimanding her for upsetting the doctor. And those eyes, the icy blue reminded her of… and the hair. Suddenly she glanced at Joey and saw him stare at the guy in the same fashion then glanced at her. Both looking for tell tale features they recognized on each other.
Joey had his hair and eyes and Rose had that frown and chin. They both looked at each other wide eyed. The silence spread and everyone around them seem to hold their breath.
"Father?" Ravager whispered her realization followed by a gasp that even Joey could not contain as Slade's frown melted into a surprised expression of his own while he looked at his offspring.
"This is impossible… how did you…" but Rose couldn't find any logical explanation or any logical question to ask useful enough to describe what she was witnessing and it occurred to her there was only one way to find out..
"Robin?… is this true?… I'm a…I'm a father?" Slade asked with pure disbelief and curiosity.
"Apparently so but we just found out today… just like you" answered the leader.
Leo tried to tighten her hold on him when he started to let go of her but he gently took her chin and gave her a peck on the lips "Its ok" he whispered in reassurance and walked towards his kids but Leo couldn't help but feel empty and cold as her heart sank with each breath.
Slade walked up to Ravager first. She was almost as tall as him while Joey was he same height.
"Starfire, can you please let her go?" Slade asked.
"Are you certain?" the princess asked with a worried frown then glanced at Robin who had no choice but to agree with a nod. Reluctantly, Star let go of her prisoner and stepped back.
But the moment she was free, Ravager swung her right fist at Slade's face and when he blocked it, she quickly grabbed his arm and twisted it behind him but he was faster and as he spin to free his arm, he lowered himself and grabbed her leg and lifted if in an attempt to make her loose her balance but she swung her other leg in the air and hit the side of his face almost knocking him down. He scrambled to his feet while grabbing his jaw. He was surprised to say the least and thrilled at the same time.
"I came up with that move a year ago, how do you know it?" he said with a chuckle.
"Because you taught it to me when I was ten years old and if you are who you say you are, then you'll know what's next" she said and launched her assault once more but this time, each kick and punch was skillfully blocked until he found her weak point and was able to pinned her down on the floor, with a leg over her back and his forearm in the back of her neck.
They were panting and the other ones around them had been at the edge of their nerves watching the assault. There had been a point where Jericho and Robin had tried to intervene but Star stopped them and told them to be patient.
"You learnt it almost to perfection sweetheart, but that last turn makes your midsection vulnerable, any skilled attacker wont waste time to take advantage of that" he said as he got up and offered her his hand to stand up. Reluctantly, she took his hand and got on her feet.
"You told me you invented that move when you were eighteen so… you're… nineteen now?" Ravager asked while she dusted herself off.
"Almost twenty if I remember correctly. Then again, time has been tricky lately… Starfire, can you please…" he said and nodded towards his daughter. Once secure, Slade walked towards Jericho with a smile and the young man couldn't help but return it. It had been such a long time since he last saw his father's smile.
"Hi, Joey…is it?" Jericho nodded.
"So… did I teach you to fight like that? Will you test me just like your sister did?" he said with a smile as he approached slowly but Joey only shook his head no with a smile of his own as they shook hands.
"No, he cant. His mother took him away before you had a chance to teach him… remember?" said Ravager quietly behind him.
Slade frowned at this "Why did your mother took you away from me?" but Joey only sighed and shook his head.
"You can tell me Joey. Its ok"
"He cant" Ravager interrupted once more.
"Rose, please, let him answer me" said Slade, with a bit more frustration.
"That's the thing dad, he cant tell you. Why cant you remember this?" she almost shouted.
"Remember what?"
"He's a mute because of you. When he was one year old, mercenaries came after you but when they didn't find you they took him instead and when you still didn't do what they asked you to do, they slid his throat… you saved his life but the doctors couldn't repair his vocal cords and his mother…"
Slade covered his ears and grabbed his head as if in pain.
"That's enough" came the voice of an angry Leonore who came and wrapped her arms around his neck while Joey glared at his sister and gestured his reply with his hands.
"Oh c'mon Joey, you know it wasn't an accident, you…." but she was stopped mid sentence as a stripe of dark energy sealed her lips to her astonishment.
"That is enough…all of you" said Raven as she and Garfield emerged from a portal. "Leo, take Slade to the other room" the young doctor didn't have to be told twice and soon was out of sight with Slade.
"Where were you two?" Robin whispered to Garfield which caused him to blush.
"Um… that's kind of classified dude"
Once Slade was gone, Raven removed the binding from Rose's mouth and let her speak her mind. "What have you done to him. How did you make him young again and why?"
"Not by choice. He came to us for help. He underwent a ritual to separate him from magical traces that influenced him as a portal to a demon into this world. Him returning as a young man was one of the side effects" said Raven, addressing Joey and Rose. Joey however gestured his question to which Starfire spoke out loud.
"Raven, Jericho wishes to know what other side effects are present"
Raven looked at the princess with mild curiosity as to how did she know sign language but dismissed it as she remember the alien's methods for learning.
"As you may have noticed, his memory of his life between the age he's now and a week ago, is gone, rather forgotten until he decides to remember. That said, Ravager, he doesn't wish to remember what he was. Do not push him beyond his boundaries. His mind is too fragile at the moment"
…
…
Slade was sitting on a chair while rubbing his temples. There was an acute headache making its way every time he tried to even think about what he just learned of his past. He had his eyes closed when he felt a gentle touch on his arm. Leo was offering him a glass of water and two aspirins to ease his headache.
He attempted a smile but wasn't too convincing. He took the pills and after drinking the entire glass of water, he closed his eyes once more and leaned his head on her shoulder and after another moment of silence, she asked quietly "Are you alright?"
"… I just…cant fathom the idea of how could I have let him get hurt that way…or her… " he said then winced at the pulsing headache again.
"Shh, don't think about it right now. Just think that, he's fine now, a hero no less and she… well, she can take care of herself… please, just… don't" he lifted his head from his resting spot when he heard the trembling in her voice.
"Hey…I still don't want to remember, I'm sure of that. I just cant help it if it hurts. I always wanted a family of my own and swore that if I ever had one, I would protect them no matter what but today I realized…I failed"
Before he said another word, Leo pulled him into a kiss. One that promised so many things to come and yet, he was truly afraid of losing.
In their embrace however, they didn't notice the astonished looks of the Titans as they passed by with the new prisoner
"Dude, that's still so weird" Garfield whispered to no one in particular.
"No kidding" whispered Cyborg and everyone else nodded in agreement, all except Rose, who frown and looked away before being motioned to continue her walk.
…
…
The next few days had been relatively quiet. After the attack at the hospital, the Titans had decided to take Ravager to the holding cell in the tower. Jericho had also moved in temporarily in order to spend more time around his young father who had proved to be more interesting and funny that he remembered. He also didn't mind spending a bit of more time with his sister as he delivered her meals along with Slade.
Leo had arranged for special equipment to be delivered to the tower in order to keep baby Victoria under close examination and Meliah in constant life support until Raven was able to perform the ritual again. Michael had also officially moved in the tower, his room only a few doors down from the medical bay and Dr Simmons two more doors down the hall.
To say that the tower was crowed, was an understatement. The constant push and pull of emotions that Raven sensed were overwhelming sometimes but given their circumstances, she didn't dare to pursue. For the most part, she could manage but days like today, when Gar wasn't home due to a minor emergency call, anxiety reigned in all corners of her home, so she decided to take a breather.
She went out to the roof and she sighed in relief at the open blue sky and that's when she noticed Garfield in the far corner, leaned against the short wall of the edge. He was facing in her direction but was looking down, lost in thought.
"A penny for your thoughts" she said quietly once she was close enough and knelt in front of him.
"Oh, hey Rae. Didn't see you there. Everything ok babe?" he asked with an attempt of a smile but failed miserably.
"I was about to ask you the same, minus the "babe" part. When did you come back?"
"um…maybe about twenty minutes ago?… I don't know. I just needed some time to gather my thoughts"
"I leave you to it then" she said softly and made the attempt to stand up but he took her hand to stop her.
"Don't go. Sorry, I didn't mean it like that, its just…"
"Is it about Meliah?" she asked with what she hoped was a soft enough tone to reassure him she wasn't upset by the subject. After a moment of avoiding her eyes, he nodded shyly.
"Gar, look at me… I have never and I will never…ask you to forget about someone you care about. You can tell me anything, you know that. Now tell me, what's bothering you besides the obvious" she sat next to him and held his hand. Uncertainty was driving him mad, she could tell.
He pulled her to him and she rested her head on his chest. The constant rhythm of his heart was soothing and reminded her of the warm, cozy nights they had spent in her bed ever since they came back to the tower.
"Do you think she'll remember me?" came his quiet question.
"That depends on how old were you two when you met"
"Very little, but I wasn't green then."
"Then perhaps she might not. At least not right away"
A few more silent minutes passed while Raven waited patiently.
"Do you think… she'll want to remember me?
To this she lifted her head from his chest and found his eyes closed with a few tears running freely down his cheeks. She wiped them tenderly before responding with a question of her own.
"That also depend… do you want her to remember you?"
"I..I.." he took a few shaking breaths to steady himself but knew he wasn't fooling her "I really don't know"
…
…
A couple of days later, on a sunny afternoon, Garfield came behind the sofa Raven was sitting on while reading a book. He quickly kissed her neck raising goose bumps on her skin.
"C'mon Rae, get ready" he said with the enthusiasm he usually carry himself in.
"Ready for what?" she asked as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders.
"You and I, my dear, are going on a date tonight. A real date"
"We are?"
"That's right"
"Why the change of attitude. I thought you wanted to stay here to keep an eye on them" she said and tried to turn around but he stopped her with a kiss on her ear that made her shiver again.
"Well, for starters, I realized that, not only we're engaged but, we've also share a bed in any possible way and I haven't had the decency to take you out on a date before any of that, so, I want to make good of my promise" he whispered in her ear again and his words caused her to blush that she tried to hide with a soft chuckle.
"Gar, you know I don't care about that"
"Oh but I do. Because the other thing I've noticed, is that I've neglected you in the worse way possible since we're together and I want to change that. Think of it this way… you and me, in a different environment. No stress, no hero biz, no dramatic, life threatening …nothing… just you, me and what binds us together, at least for a couple of hours. What do you say?"
The idea was more and more appealing that what she cared to admit. A couple of hours away from everything that had kept them on edge for the last few weeks its what she's been craving more than anything. So she agreed with a smile and a kiss that only widen his smile.
They decided to leave their communicators behind on the kitchen table with a note to Robin along the lines of "Out on a date with my lady, please do not disturb. We'll be back in a few hours." . Robin chuckled at the gesture. He was truly happy for his friends to have finally found a moment to themselves but that's when his communicator went off with an all alert signal from Cyborg's device.
Meanwhile, just as promised, they spent almost three hours away from the tower. In such impromptu notice, Raven had managed a more comfortable outfit. Snug enough for the weather but nothing too elaborated for a casual date. Garfield took her to a small, secluded restaurant by the shore that proved to be more than delicious. They talked of non consequential matters and laughed at past pranks he and Cyborg had done.
Later they walked along the beach hand in hand, picking up small shells that Garfield wanted for a surprise for her. They stopped by a carnival nearby where he won for her another giant chicken. She had raised her eyebrow at that but he reasoned it was only fair for the first chicken to have a mate since the two of them were together now. Of course she had her doubts about the logic of his reasoning as of late but decided to let it go and after accepting the stuffed animal, he kissed her tenderly, before deciding to return to the tower.
Once they arrived at the island, he took her hand right before she opened the door and pulled her into a most romantic embrace and kissed her gently, almost shy but never reserved. Possessive but never imposing that made her melt all the more into his arms and he was feeling quite dazed by her response but tried to keep a hold of himself and not ruin the moment.
When they pulled apart, he rested his forehead on hers, both with their eyes closed almost panting and their hearts beating excitedly in delight.
"This was… an amazing date Gar"
"Despite the chicken?" he asked with a chuckle.
"Including the chicken" she said with a smile but then, her smile disappeared at the same moment his ears tingled and with a gasp, she said "Gar… something's wrong"
She enveloped both of them in her dark energy and disappeared in a portal that took them to the medical bay where they found chaos. Slade trying to subdue an enraged Ravager who was trying to get to Leo, already unconscious on the floor. She was bleeding from her left temple and a darker stain of blood on her chest was the sign of a deeper wound.
Garfield quickly turned into a cheetah and run to Leo's side where Cyborg was already trying to get a reading on her vitals and Jericho was trying to clear the debris on his path as apparently he had been thrown out of someone's way.
Raven in the meantime, had used her powers to stop Ravager from her assault and send Slade to the other side of the room. Starfire and Robin had been trying to protect Dr Simmons and Meliah and there were traces of Red X's ammo all around the room. He was now in front of the incubator in a fighting stance.
"What happened? Why is she out of her cell?" asked Raven with her eyes glowing white.
"Do you think your technology can hold me forever witch?"
"She escaped and before any of us noticed, she snuck in the lab and attacked Leonore. She defended herself as long as she could but …" Slade said over his shoulder as he picked up the unconscious girl and gently placed her on the nearest bed.
"But she's no match for me. She never was" Ravager interrupted.
"Shut up Rose. Shut up. You have cause enough damage" yelled Slade as soon as he turned around.
"Why do you care so much for that bitch. I'm the one who's been at your side since I'm little. I'm the one who's been loyal to you. Not Joey, not our mothers… me and you choose yet again, someone else over me, why?"
"You're my daughter Rose, you will never give me what I really need. A companion. A lover. A wife"
"You're in love with her, are you?" Rose said with a sneer.
"Yes, yes I am and for her I have decided to forget everything I was. I've been given a second chance and I don't pretend to waste it"
"A second chance? What makes you think you deserve a second chance? You of all people"
"And why not. You could use a different life yourself"
"This is the only life I know and you…are the only one I have dad. I've been the good girl. I've followed your every instruction and became what you wanted me to become and now you think you can just… abandon me for some schoolgirl that could be your daughter?"
"You two… QUIET!" yelled Cyborg from across the room. "This is not the time for a family feud. Leo is dying. The broken glass Ravaged attacked her with had remains of a sample from Meliah's blood on the advanced stages of her condition. Leo is nowhere nearly prepared to fight that back on her own and is advancing quick. If we don't find the cure soon, we'll loose her as well"
"Cy, how soon?" asked Garfield, too shocked to move.
"Soon as in the next forty eight hours or less"
"So give her the serum she was working on. She had progressed in the last few days" commanded Slade ignoring his daughter completely.
"Yes, she had progressed but not quite. We didn't have enough of the real cure to reproduce it so she had to start from scratch but was lacking other ingredients even she didn't know about" said Cyborg while he placed monitors around the bed and an IV on Leo's arm.
"Then where did that sample come from? Find out and I'll get it myself" Slade said with desperation he couldn't hide anymore but was met with silence as everyone around him simply stared at him. "Well?" he asked once more.
"You… Slade. You are the one who found the cure but only created enough to bargain with Raven so she could perform the ritual. You, are the only one who knows the entire formula." said Robin quietly.
"No…" Slade whispered to himself with his eyes wide open.
"Wait…Leo said Ravager had been there when Slade took her formula. I'm sure she was also there when he created the serum so, spill it Ravager. What are the ingredients" demanded Garfield as he came closer.
"Like I'm going to help you save her. Don't even think about it vegetable face" said Ravager with a smug smile, still trapped in Raven's energy field.
Slade turned around and from the ground he picked up one of her daggers and came close enough to stab her on the neck, but she laughed. A nervous but mocking laugh.
"You're willing to kill me, your own daughter just to try to save that…" but she struggled in her words as the blade was pressing harder on her throat, nearly breaking the skin.
"Watch how you talk about her Rose or…"
"Or what? You'll kill me? Go ahead. Do it already. Either way, you're not getting the answers from me"
Slade was ready to snap but instead, dropped the blade in exasperation
"Looks to me dear father, that you'll have to resort to your memories after all. That is, if you really love her, you'll do what ever it takes to save her" Ravager taunted once more and Slade turned with his arm midair ready to strike her face but never did.
"I would hit you if you weren't a woman or my daughter" said Slade with all the sarcasm and venom he could muster.
"I don't have that problem. Allow me" came the emotionless voice of Raven and without waiting for a response, she threw the offending girl against the wall across the room as hard as she could. Then her dark force field disappeared and the unconscious body fell unceremoniously on the ground.
.