Everyone, I am incredibly sorry for the long updates. For some reason, I can't help but think that I've lost my touch-maybe not in ideas but in writing style. I don't know, what do you guys think?

Also, before you guys favorite me or the story or story alert this, can you guys tell me what you think? Tell me when they're OOC, and leave a review so I know. I'd really appreciate it...

I made this chapter extra long just for you guys so I hope you guys like it!
I really liked writing this chapter because like the other chapters because I have been envisioning it for a really long time! I didn't really like the beginning and middle, but I loved the ending and the part where Raven visits the ruins and tells the Titans, well you'll see.

Disclaimer: I own nothing...
On with the story...

Chapter 5: Refusal

Beast Boy and Raven were headed to the tower in complete, comfortable silence. They walked past the waiting room, climbed into the elevator, and exited into the Common Room. Beast Boy and Raven saw their friends congregated in the middle of the room. The Titans stopped what they were doing when they saw Raven and smiled innocently as if trying to hide a secret. Raven looked stoically at everyone in the room before heading out of the room.

"Good. She's outta the room so now we can continue."

"Continue what?"

"Beast Boy, isn't it obvious? Raven's welcoming back party!"

Beast Boy blinked twice and grinned before joining his friends in the middle of the room.

+The Roof+

Meanwhile, Raven headed to the roof for some much needed alone time. Her thoughts were quickly interrupted as she walked to the roof.

'Are you quite certain that it is alright for us to stay with them, Mistress?'

'Yes Sagacious. Besides, I'm only taking refuge for the night. The Titans no longer need me; they have found their replacement.'

'I see your point. After all, we were the ones that gave the Titans their replacement.'

Raven sat down on a gray bench and relished the ocean air as she let her mind wander.

+The Common Room+

"Okay! So we've got everything planned!"

"Yea! We just need to get all the party supplies!"

"And we gotta make sure that Raven isn't here and outta the house!"

"Speaking of which, someone should probably go get Rae. It's gonna get cold soon."

"I'll go get her!" Beast Boy said proudly and Terra shot him an irritated look, which the green Titan failed to notice.

He quickly exited out of the room and left the Titans to the rest of the party planning.

'Boy! Rae sure is gonna be surprised when she sees this!' Beast Boy grinned at the thought and raced up the stairs.

He opened the door and called, "Hey Rae! I think it's time for you to probably get in. It's getting-"

Beast Boy was surprised to what he was seeing: there were two Ravens! They were both sparing with each other. One wore a black cloak on top of a blue dress that he recognized as the normal Raven while the other one sported a crimson dress beneath a crimson cloak.

Raven sent a high kick at her red-cloaked clone but the look-alike ducked and dodged out of the way. The doppelganger jumped up and sent a flurry of kicks at the real Raven. She blocked all the kicks and caught a kick from the look-alike. The doppleganger was at a disadvantage with only one foot on the ground and Raven took advantage of it by sweeping her off her other foot. The clone did a short-hop and hurled a punch at the real Raven. Raven swiftly released the twin's leg, jumped back and skid across the roof while her clone back flipped backwards. The two Ravens glared briefly at each other before charging at each other again. Raven tried to slash at the look-alike but it ducked and sent a low kick to knock Raven off her feet. But, Raven back-flipped out of the way and kicked the red-cloaked clone in the process. The clone jumped up and sent an uppercut but, Raven dodged by back-stepping and skid across the roof, narrowing her amethyst eyes. Raven glanced to her left to see Beast Boy staring surprised. The dark empath stood up straight and turned her attention to the crimson-cloaked girl.

"Rage, I think that's enough for today."

"WHAAT? YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!"

"We'll spar again tomorrow, Rage. Besides, we've had a lot of sparing today, right?"

"Humph! Fine!" The clone pouted. Crimson-red energy swirled around the red-cloaked Raven before she glowed light red and disappeared.

"Uh...Wasn't that-?" Beast Boy asked astonished and confused.

"Yes, sorry about that. Rage always wants to spar."

"Um...Okay. When was she able to come outside and do that?"

"Don't worry, she won't hurt anyone. Shall we head inside?" Raven asked and looked up at him.

Beast Boy felt his cheeks redden and his heart rate quicken.
Wanting to avoid eye contact, Beast Boy looked to his right and replied, "Sure."

The two Titans left the roof and made their way down the stairs to the common room. When they entered, Starfire and Terra were talking while Starfire was cooking a strange Tameranean cuisine; Robin and Cyborg were playing Gamestation.

Beast Boy walked up to the couch and told the two gamers, "I play winner!"

"No way!"

"What? Why not?"

"Because you suck at this game!" Cyborg joked.

"That's-! Yeah, you're probably right about that" Beast Boy uttered ashamed and glanced to his right.

Beast Boy looked back at Raven who stood at the threshold quietly. He watched her stroll over to Starfire and Terra, where Starfire grinned and showed Raven her freshly made concoction. Raven looked at it for a moment before refusing, Terra turned green when she saw the gurggling mess and gulped before she also refused. Starfire shrugged before she floated over to the table and began gobbling her food. Beast Boy couldn't help but let out a chuckle. The carefree green Titan failed to notice the glare sent from Terra.
Raven took one last look before she floated back to the door and it whooshed behind her.

"What's with her?" Terra asked walking up to the couch and gave Beast Boy a peck on the cheek.

"Ravens' Raven. She probably has to go meditate or something", Cyborg said without looking up and let out a groan as Robin destroyed his character.

Raven stood in front of the door of her room. The steel doors read 'RAVEN' seemed to welcome its' owner. She expected her old room to be empty, except for the mattress, desk, lamp, and wires. To her surprise upon entrance, everything had been untouched: books still lined the shelves, the bed was made, the room was nice and tidy, baubles and antiques were artfully placed on the dresser. However the thought of the room being tidy confused the Azarathian, she figured that the room must have been tidied and cleaned by the other Titans, or at least the responsibility for one of the Titans.
The young woman took a quick stroll around the room and saw that her antiques had been dusted and the bed had new linen sheets, as if waiting for its' owner to sleep. Raven made a slight smile but it disappeared as quickly as it came when the idea of being gone for so long dawned on her. She sighed, made her way to the bed, and sat down. The Stoic folded her legs and assumed the Lotus position.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos, Azarath Metrion Zinthos, Azarath Metrion Zinthos..."

Raven continued her mantra and her body began to levitate. She felt the cosmic energy flow through her and continued meditating for what felt like only minutes but in reality was hours. Eventually she began to feel sleepy and decided to turn in for the night. Raven got up, pulled off her black cloak and hung it over her bookshelf. She climbed into bed, pulled the covers over her torso, and drifted to sleep.

Meanwhile Beast Boy lay on his bed, feelings of anxiety and excitement keeping him awake. He glanced out the window and the moonlight shone on his face. He got up and looked at his digital clock; it read 12:46.

'Almost 1 a.m. Great...' He thought sarcastically. 'Hmm…I'm thirsty. I'll get a drink', Beast Boy thought getting out of bed and scratching his head.

As Beast Boy walked down the empty quiet hallway, he stopped by Raven's room. The green Titan took a moment to look at the door, as the feeling of realization sunk in; the realization that she was back and that she was staying. He gave a small smile and leaned against the door, hoping to hear the empath's quiet breathing. Silence. Unsatisfied, he turned into a gnat and flew through the crack in Raven's door. On the other side, Beast Boy reverted back to human form and gave a quick look at the room. That scent of lavender and lilac was so calming and soothing that it could have made him fall asleep. He turned around and saw Raven's sleeping form, like earlier, Beast Boy felt his heartbeat quicken. The green changeling quietly tiptoed his way over to the side of the bed and knelt beside the bed. He gazed silently at the dark-haired girl asleep on the bed.

She lay against the pillows, her amethyst eyes were closed, and the moonlight shone on her pale face. The midnight blue colored sheets covered her body while her dark purple hair looked like purple streaks painted across the white pillows; she looked so beautiful, not a single hair out of place. Well, except one. A single strand of purple hair lay on her face. Beast Boy stretched out his hand and pushed the strand away but by doing so, Raven began to stir.

"Mmm?"

"Erk!"

The green shape-shifter quietly yelped before he shifted into a green gnat and flying beside the bed, just beneath the stirring former Titan. Raven's eyes slowly fluttered open, revealing those amethyst eyes that he adored. She shifted her head to the direction he had been but failed to see the small green gnat flying below her line of vision. The empath dismissed the idea and quickly went back to sleep. Beast Boy sighed in relief and floated up. Feeling that the relief was only temporary and that the Azarathian would awaken at any moment, the green Titan zoomed out of the dark room through the crack that he had entered. Once on the other side, Beast Boy reverted back to human form.

'Huh? Why did I come out here again?'

The green young man shrugged his shoulders, scratched his head, and began to walk back to his room but quickly fell asleep.

+Dawn+

Raven had gotten out of bed and planned to spend the morning meditating, alone. As she opened the door and began heading to the roof, she heard a familiar cheery voice calling behind her. The dark empath turned halfway to see her Beast Boy approaching, happy as ever.

"Hey, Rae! Rae! Wait up!"

"Beast Boy. What is it?"

"Um...Rae. I was wondering if you wanted to do something today, like go sightseeing. Since you said that you haven't been in Jump City for a long time" Beast Boy asked nervously, his voice stuttering and cracking slightly.

Raven looked at him blandly and turned around, facing the long hallway.

"Sorry Beast Boy, I have other things planned", Raven replied nonchalantly and looked at Beast Boy without turning her head.

With that, Raven left Beast Boy half-crushed and walked down the hallway, towards the roof.

"Sorry to have bothered you, then" Beast Boy said to no one, his head drooped down in disappointment.

"Yo B! What's up, man?"

"Oh hey Cyborg, nothing."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing!" Beast Boy lied and lifted his arms in defense.

"Raven got'cha down, huh?"

Beast Boy sighed before he answered truthfully. "I've been thinking non-stop about her for the past five years and she still ignores me. For the past five years, I've been missing her but it's like she's isolating herself even more; like she's more distant."

"It's okay man, that's Raven. She'll probably warm up later."

"Yea, you're probably right" Beast Boy smiled half-heartedly, not sounding too sure. Cyborg gave his green friend a pat on the shoulder before leaving for the kitchen.

"Hey Beast Boy! Good morning!" Terra ran up to her teammate before giving a big bear hug from behind.

"Oh. Mornin' Terra."

"Let's go grab some breakfast. So, what'dya wanna do today?"

"I dunno."

"Okay, Beast Boy. What is up?" Terra scowled. "You ignored me all day yesterday!"

"Nothing! It was just a shock to see her again."

Terra gave him an interrogating look before finally letting the topic go. However, it arose again when Beast Boy had informed her that he tried to get Raven sightseeing but that the empath had other plans.

"Well, as long as she's outta the house! Besides, we need to prepare her party right?"

"Yea."

Raven made her way up to the roof, wanting to be alone so that she could meditate. Or even perhaps spar with her emotion, Rage.

'Was that really necessary? We didn't have to be so mean to him...'

'I didn't mean to be cruel to him but we just can't have anyone follow us or know what we're doing and where we're going. You understand right, Sagacious?'

'Of course, Mistress.'

'Sagacious, I truly do wish you and Love would stop calling me that. It makes me feel uncomfortable. Just call me Raven.'

'Oh, I could never do that Mistress! The same with Love too!'

Raven sighed at her emotion before telling her 'Do whatever you will, then.'

'Yes, Mistress.'

Raven folded her legs and began to meditate, feeling the ocean greet her as well as the cosmic energy that she always felt during meditation.

The rest of the day was mostly preparations for the Titans: they had spent most of the morning putting up decorations and preparing for the evening. Cyborg had went to the party supplies store to buy streamers and a welcome back banner, Robin and Starfire went to the supermarket and bought food and cake ingredients for Cyborg's famous seven-layer cake. While Beast Boy and Terra who had been in charge of keeping Raven out of the tower, they had free time due to Raven's other plans. By the time they had finished, it was almost five p.m. and the sun was almost setting, (sunset was foretold to be at 6:03). However, Raven had not arrived yet.

"It's almost party time! Where is she?"

"I dunno!"

Cyborg shrugged and Starfire was just putting the finishing touches on the decorations.

'Where are you, Rae?' Beast Boy thought worriedly.

+The Ruins+

On the other side of Jump City, Raven stood in the ruins of what had once been an old library. Beneath the library, was the underground structure that held the shrine for Trigon and the altar for her prophecy. Much of the cloaked statues that resembled Raven had long since been worn away, demolished and destroyed. The stairs that had led up to an enormous hand-shaped altar stood and overlooked the vast crater that a dark abyss. The collapsed roof allowed the sunlight to pour over the structure, as well as the destroyed walls that was now rubble. In an odd twist of humorous irony, it looked like the end of the world had started here, it had. Oddly, the ruins of the library had been untouched by time and it was piercingly silent. Birds that flew overhead refused to land or perch on the grounds and flew around the ruins instead of through, ants that marched near the library stayed away. It had looked exactly what it had five years ago.
Raven walked around and examined the ruins, letting out a sigh. She touched a nearby statue, moving her hands up and down on its' stony surface. The empath lowered her head in sadness, feeling the memories claw at her mind. Taking her hand off the statue, she walked near the crater and examine it. She lifted her head and looked at the stairs that led to nothing but air that once held the altar. Raven turned her back at the stairs and the altar. The Azarathian walked around again, feeling the flood of memories. Bending over in a crouched position, Raven

touched the ground, feeling the soft, dry, sturdy soil.

"Odd. There are still traces of that incident".

Standing up, she let the dirt she had picked up trickle down her hand and disappeared into the wind, as if it were sand. Taking another look around, Raven noticed another unusual thing.

"Even the grass refuses to grow here. The grounds are still soaked with much of the evil."

Raven felt the slight breeze blow in her face and rustle her mauve hair. The empath took one last sigh before taking one last look at the scene and narrowed her eyes.

"Never again..."

Melting through the ground and up through the floor of the roof, Raven had teleported back to the tower. The ocean wind seemed to welcome her and graced her with a calming sense. Her back faced the ocean, so she turned to look at the glistening sea and gave a slight smile. She was shocked to see that the sun was already setting, Raven had lost track of time. Then again, that didn't seem to bother her because of what she had been through during the five years. She opened the door, walked down stairs hoping to get to her room and that the Titans would leave her alone. As Raven turned the corner to get to her room, the green Titan again greeted the empath.

"Hey Rae!" His effervescent grin ear-to-ear.

Although she had rejected his plan earlier, he seemed to have returned to his normal jovial self and she looked blandly at him.

"Beast Boy, what is it?"

"Rae, I wanna show you something!"

The empath had hoped that the Titans would avoid her and give her alone time. Unfortunately, no luck.

"Beast Boy, if it is another one of your pranks, I don't any part of it", she told him deadpan.

"No, no! It's nothing like that! I swear!"

"Well, alright." Beast Boy could've sworn his stomach did a back flip and he grinned even wider. (If that was possible.)

"Here! Follow me!"

He took hold of her wrist and led her to the door of the common room, his heart racing with excitement. Beast Boy quickly let go and offered her to go first through the door. Raven looked blandly back at him before walking through the large steel doors.

"SURPRISE!"

Raven's expression had not wavered, her expression as empty as ever and not a hint of surprise in her face. She looked emotionlessly at her Titans but the Titans had assumed that she was surprised. The Azarathian glanced at Beast Boy, who stood at her right and was still grinning widely.

"What is this?"

"A surprise party, of course!"

"For-?"

"YOU! Welcome back!"

"Yea, Rae! Welcome back!"

Raven had a slightly confused look before she looked up and saw the large yellow and purple-lettered banner that read: WELCOME BACK BANNER. She looked around again and saw the party decorations: pink streamers lined the walls and part of the ceiling, the banner canopied from each side of the room. The buffet had a large assortment of food and the enormous seven-layered cake that Cyborg had happily baked stood in the middle of it all. Lastly, the grinning faces of her friends filled the room. It was then that Raven realized what was going on.

"We know it's been a long time but we'd really like it if joined us again. Y'know as a Titan!" Robin said.

"Yes, Friend Raven!"

"We can-"

"I'm sorry but I think that there has been a big misunderstanding. Perhaps I have neglected to tell you, I have no intention of becoming a Titan again."

End.

So whad'ya think of Chapter 5? Read and Review Please and Thank you!