Author's Note: Morning! So school has started and I will be even slower than I already was. Stay with me! That is all. Enjoy!

Raven sat on the couch in the common area with one set of fingers holding open a book and the other in Gar's hair. He was quite asleep on her lap, face turned towards her and hands curled up towards his chest. His breaths were slow and regular and deep. She could feel them on her stomach, his breaths, each a puff of warm air filling the space between them. Her mind was focused on what she was reading, a dissertation on demons in Sanskrit, and her hand operated independently. It caressed his head, stroking him as you might absently stroke a cat in your lap. Fingers running across his forehead and down his skull to his neck. She didn't even realize she was doing it.

"Hey Raven," boomed a voice from the entry way.

She turned her head to look at Vic over her shoulder, pulling her fingers from Gar's hair and pressing one to her lips. Signaling that he should be quiet. Raising his eyebrows and grinning, Vic moved silently up behind her and bent over. Gar let out a groan and swallowed, shifting his weight just a little.

"Isn't he the cutest thing," Vic mocked. "Hold on, I'm gonna take a picture."

"Absolutely not," rebuked Raven in a low voice, returning her hand to the back of Gar's skull. "He was just trying to help."

"I'll bet he was."

"I don't have a lot of books in English and this one," she gestured to an abandoned tome on the cushion next to her. "Is rather dense."

"And it's completely innocent how he ended up in your lap?"

"He said he reads better lying down…"

"I'll bet he does."

"How's the lab coming," Raven changed the subject, marking her place with her finger and setting the book down.

"Should be done in the next couple days. It's a lot of equipment and, secret lair and all, I have to transport it all myself. How's your stuff coming along?"

"Slowly. Most of what I've found isn't even relevant. I don't know enough about this demon…"

Raven dropped her gaze and ran a finger over Gar's pointed ear. She was not smiling. Vic grabbed a chair from the kitchen and brought it around to face her, settling in. He crossed his arms and tucked his chin.

"But," Vic read in the stillness. "You have an idea as to how to find out more."

"We're not there yet," she insisted, not looking at him.

"No offense, but maybe, if you're gonna be a part of this team, you should let us in on these secret ways and we can all make a decision."

At that she did look up, obviously offended. Vic gave her a wry smile and tilted his head a little. He wasn't saying it, but it was there: the last time she'd made a decision on her own it had been the wrong one. She'd been too cautions then; what's to say she wasn't being too cautious now.

"I could try to hypnotize him," she offered, scowling. "But best-case scenario, he'll have to relive it. Worst case… The sodalite amulet seems to be keeping the demon at bay. He's had no symptoms."

"But it only gets worse from here, right?"

"Yes…"

She looked down at his face, so peaceful and carefree, and brushed the hair across his forehead.

"You know he's really into you," Vic changed the subject back, also looking down at Gar's sleeping form.

"I am aware. He's not subtle."

"No he isn't," Vic snorted. "Little man's about as subtle as a freight train. It's, you know, a little endearing."

"If you have a point," Raven said tersely, lifting her chin and looking down her nose at him. "Please make it."

"Alright. Now I know all about wanting to be alone and putting up walls. I did it for years. I also know how this little green grass stain burrows right under those walls. He gets close to you even when you don't want him to. I met him once, you know, before all this. When we were both teenagers."

"He never told me that…"

"It's not exactly my proudest moment. I bailed him out with some muggers, but he needed more than that. He'd run away from those jewel thieves and he needed more from me. I didn't give it. So he wound up with Terra and she had him so tightly wrapped around her finger… I tried to be his friend then and he wouldn't let me. The point of all that is that I care about him now. Don't wanna see him get hurt."

"And you think I'll hurt him, yes. We've been over this."

"Raven, if your feelings for him are purely platonic, just professional, I get it. I trust you to take care of this demon issue. But if that's it then you need to set a boundary with him."

"Not that it's any of your business, but that's not it." Raven sighed through her nose and looked to her right, setting her jaw. "Gar and I have talked about this, believe it or not. He knows what he's getting into with me. At least, as much as anyone can know."

"He talks a big game but he's fragile-"

"And I know I seem cold," Raven cut him off, sighing again through her nose. "I know this looks really one-sided. I know that being possessed makes you emotionally vulnerable, that so long as he's happy he can hold the demon at bay but the second any one of us slips up…"

"I don't know when it happened," Vic said, unfolding his arms and leaning towards her. His circuitry glowed cyan and his red eye looked at her with a mechanical intensity that allowed no room for argument. "But he's my best friend. And I just don't want to see his heart break is all. I got protective I guess."

"I don't want to break his heart…" she all but whispered pensively, running her fingers through Gar's hair again. "Not just because of the demon, but because I don't want to. So if that's what your worried about then don't."

"It's my job to worry," joked Vic with a wise smile. "Little man doesn't have any sense himself; he needs someone to look out for him. As for that business with the hypnotism, you should bring it up with Dick and Starfire. And Garfield."

"They don't know the risks-"

"Then explain the risks. We're a team now and this demon thing is a team problem. It's not just you anymore and you're gonna have to let us in. You're gonna have to be flexible too."

"Flexibility is not my forte." Raven bit her lip and looked him in the eye. "But fine. I'll bring it up at dinner."

Starfire knocked on Raven's door wearing a sports bra, leggings, and a bemused look. Her best friend had summoned her over their communicators, expressing that she was to report to the former's room at her earliest convenience. She'd been sparring with Dick at the time and had wrapped things up quickly, expressing her concern to Dick, who was equally confused. Raven had been buried in books since they'd broken Gar out a week ago and only spoke to any of them at meals. With the exception of Gar, whom she allowed to "help" her while Vic built their lab. According to Gar she was fine, focused, but Starfire had been with her for several cases and had never seen her this tense. A team dynamic was new to her, but in her opinion Raven was not fine. She was, however, sure that Raven wished them to believe she was fine.

"Friend Raven," she cupped her hands around her mouth and moved closer to the door in an effort to be loud without shouting. "It is Starfire. You wished to see me."

"Come in," came Raven's muffled voice from the other side. "And close the door behind you."

Pursing her lips at the edge in her best friend's voice, Starfire did as instructed. Inside the room was dark, the main lights were off and the bathroom light was casting shadows. It took a moment for Starfire's eyes to adjust to the dimness and for the candles and books that littered the floor to emerge. The bed was in the back right corner next to the wall and on it was Raven. Perched uncomfortably on the edge. Her feet were pressed into the ground and her back was straight. Her arms were wrapped around her shoulders and in the gloom her grey skin looked luminous. When Starfire came in she looked over and her face was a very controlled form of livid, so much so that Starfire considered turning around and running off. But after a moment she noticed what might've been the source of Raven's displeasure and relaxed a little. Her dark, professional friend was in a dress.

"Thank you for coming so quickly," she said in a curt tone that sounded polite but had an accusatory edge.

"Your request sounded most urgent," offered Starfire, picking through the books to get closer to the bed. "Please, how may I offer assistance?"

"I… um…" Raven looked at the wall to her right and sighed so heavily her shoulders heaved. "I need help with the zipper."

"The.. what?"

Starfire frowned and tilted her head in confusion. The words had come out rushed and stuck together; they would've been difficult for a native English speaker to understand. Raven looked more intently at the wall, wrathfully, as if it were the wall's fault. Her mouth was a tight knot even as she fought to keep her shoulders relaxed. Then she stood and turned, exposing her bare back to Starfire. Her grey skin looked like stone, smooth and taught over her spine and muscles.

"The zipper," she clarified, intentionally this time. "It's caught."

"And this is all," probed Starfire, stepping up and starting on the zipper.

"You make it sound like this isn't a problem-"

"Oh no, that was not my intention! You just sounded very… upset on the communicator."

"I am upset. There's so much happening right now and I- I'm in a dress. This is a waste of time."

"This is the dress Garfield picked out for you," Starfire observed, getting the fabric free from the zipper and starting to pull it up her friend's back. "He was very careful with its selection."

"Don't act like you're innocent," Raven accused, though she did hold her hair out of the way. "He told me you helped. This was your idea."

"Indeed. I noticed your wardrobe was lacking in such attire and suggested a dress would be a nice addition. Though this is much more conservative than what I picked out."

"Starfire," Raven sighed as she turned to face her. "I don't wear dresses."

"For what purpose? I understand the need to be professional at work, but we are not at work. We are among friends."

Raven looked Starfire dead in her neon green eyes but faltered, dropping her gaze. Absently she ran her hands over her waste and stomach, then reached down to feel the fabric of the skirt. Starfire twisted her head so much her bright red hair fell over her shoulders. She reached out and ran a hand over Raven's shoulder, smoothing the fabric there.

"It is alright to be feminine," she said. "It is not weakness and it is no cause for shame. You are a beautiful woman; you can be pleased with the way you look. And you look very nice in this dress."

"Appearances are not important."

"Perhaps not to you. But they are to me. And they are too Garfield. Was he wrong to desire this dress for you? Is it wrong for him to want to see you in it?"

"I don't know, Starfire. There's so much about him- so much about all of this, that's… beyond my experience."

"What I told Garfield," Starfire said slowly, folding her hands in front of her and giving Raven a bashful smile. "Is that when Dick buys things for me I feel very flattered. His attention to the details of my body makes me feel desirable. You have someone who looks at you in wonder, friend Raven, and you deserve this because you are wonderful. You are beautiful and intelligent and determined. Why should you not be desired?"

"You think that," asked Raven, not looking at her friend but rather down at the dress, running her hands over it. "Really?"

"I have deceived you in the past, friend Raven," Starfire said, lifting her chin confidently. "But never about anything of consequence."

"And the dress looks nice?"

"Truly you are glorious to behold."

"Alright." Raven licked her lips and nodded to herself. "Alright. Then, if you'll excuse me, I need to ask Gar on a date."

When Gar answered the door to his room he was expecting Vic with an update on the lab. Maybe Starfire asking about acceptable meat substitutes for dinner. Possibly Dick, though the two had mostly just not meshed. He was dressed for these contingencies in a dark purple T-shirt (with a nice V-neckline he thought showed off his chest) and dark jeans. His feet were bare and his hair was a mess, but that was pretty normal. Regardless, he was surprised to find Raven in the hall. She'd told him that morning at breakfast that she was working on something and should not be disturbed, so as hard as it was, he'd stayed away. It occurred to him now that maybe he should've asked what that something was. He might've found it entertaining. He might've been prepared. Instead he was speechless.

Raven looked very unimpressed with her mouth pouted off to one side and her hands held out. His silence unnerved her and she tried to catch his eye, but he was quite absorbed with matters below her chin. His lips had parted and he was flushing a little. She didn't know what that meant.

"Well," she asked in an accusatory tone. "Is it nice or not?"

"Nice," he repeated, rolling his lips and prying his eyes away from that patch of grey flesh that was exposed by the keyhole neckline. "Raven you look amazing. I mean, I knew it would look good on you but… damn."

"Damn? Really?"

"We really need to work on your response to compliments."

He stepped into the hall with her and, hesitantly, flicking his eyes to hers to see if it was alright, reached for her waist. Ran his hand over her rib cage and down to her hip, across the tight navy fabric. Inhaled her cold scent and smiled because she'd stopped wearing the lavender all together. He knew she did that for him, just like she'd tried on the dress for him… That thought caught him and he pulled away from her, staying close.

"How do you feel in it," he asked, tilting his head and giving her an encouraging grin. "You came out of your room, that's something!"

Raven dropped her gaze and ran her hands over her stomach, across her hip, and down her thighs. She breathed and felt the fabric yield to her ribs. She reached up and traced the keyhole neckline.

"I feel like I'm trying to be pretty," she said slowly.

"I mean, you don't have to try-"

"You know what I mean. This is extra effort I don't usually expend. It's odd."

"Odd good or odd bad? Do you like the dress or is it just…"

"I like it," she said decisively, consulting the wall to his left and nodding. "Maybe not every day, but I think I like it. Not as much as you though."

"That'd be pretty hard to do," Gar laughed, wrapping a hand around her waist and tucking his chin suggestively. "I think you look fantastic. So, you going to dinner like this? Did you show Starfire?"

"Yes, yes, and I actually have a request along those lines."

"Shoot."

Raven brought her hands up to his chest, running them from his trapezium down his pectorals. She looked at them rather than into his eyes, rolling her lips nervously. He brought his other hand up and settled both of them on her hips, tilting his chin inquisitively and trying to catch her eye. Now that she was here the words were stuck in her throat. It was a level of normalcy for which she wasn't ready, an action that was borderline irresponsible given their current situation. Nevertheless, she wanted it. She dreaded it and wanted it and had done so for days. Willing her gaze up, she braced herself for a rejection that she knew wouldn't come and spoke in no uncertain terms.

"I want you to take me for ice cream. Tonight after dinner."

"Sorry, what?"

"You heard me. I will pay, I just-"

"Now hold on," he protested, grinning at her and looking like he'd seen his first rainbow. "I can't let the lady pay for the first date!"

"Yes you can. The "lady" is more than capable and you don't have any money."

"Dick has money."

"We can split the check. Happy?"

"Over the moon."

Neither Vic nor Dick knew how to react when Raven walked into the common area in a dress. She looked nice, of course, but was it safe to tell her that? Was it allowed? Gar was holding her hand and had the dazed look of bliss a child gets after their first experience with ice cream. So it was probable that Raven had already been told she looked… very nice. It was also probable that some more colorful descriptors had been used. She was even smiling, just a little, just when the light caught her grey face just right. Vic and Dick looked at each other when the pair came in with raised eyebrows, brown meeting blue, and nodded in silent agreement. Raven would not appreciate their commentary on her appearance, surely. Don't speak unless spoken to. Starfire had none of these concerns; she'd actually already expressed her glee at Raven wearing a dress to Dick when she'd come in to start preparing dinner. No one had been expecting her to stay in the dress and Starfire was quite ecstatic.

"Is this an indication that you are as enamored with your attire as Garfield and I," she asked, floating over with hands clasped before her chest.

"I wouldn't go that far," answered Raven, shaking hair from her face. "But I do… like it."

"You look nice," Dick broke his pact with Vic and held out a hand as if to offer the risky compliment to her on a platter.

"Yeah," added Vic, shooting Dick a simmering look. "Different."

"Are you saying I don't look nice all the time?"

The men widened their eyes in sudden fear and paled. They looked at each other, then back to Raven, then back to each other. She curled her lips in a wicked grin and Gar positively howled with laughter. He brought her hand up to his grinning lips and pointed at Vic with a green hand and a pointed nail.

"Dude! You should see your faces!"

"Shut up," said Vic, sighing in relief. "We gonna eat or what?"

"Yes, please, I have prepared an approximation of northrog, the dish of the harvest. And here is a portion with the fermented soybean paste."

"Tofu," corrected Gar, taking a seat at the bar and accepting a bowl from Starfire. "It's just tofu. It's not a paste."

"Sure looks like sludge to me," inserted Vic, scooping some of the non-vegetarian option into his own bowl.

"Dude, nobody asked you."

"Before everyone gets too invested," said Dick, serving himself and then setting the food aside. "There's something I wanted to propose."

"I have something as well," Raven added, settling next to Gar. "Something we should discus as a team."

"Do you want to go first?"

"No, please, after you."

"Alright," Dick folded his hands on the countertop and adopted a grave expression, so much so that Garfield, who had started shoveling food into his mouth, put his fork down. "The primary objective of this group is, ultimately, to fight supervillains like the people who were holding Gar. I think it's time we started training."

"Training," Gar repeated, swallowing.

"Hand-to-hand, obstacle courses, that sort of thing. This place is fully equipped. Starfire and I have been sparring for years now, but the rest of you…"

"I resent that man," grumbled Vic.

"I don't know your capabilities," clarified Dick. "And we can improve each other. We all have a unique set of skills, that's what makes us such a great team. But we do need to refine those skills in combat scenarios. And get used to maintaining a certain edge."

"Count me in," exclaimed Gar, looking to see if Raven shared his enthusiasm. "Sounds cool! I'm game!"

"That's good," nodded Dick with a wry smile. "Because it really wasn't a request."

"I actually do have a request," cut in Raven, dropping her gaze.

Silence fell and now that the moment had come her mouth was dry. She looked intently at the countertop and felt their expectant eyes crawl across her skin. They weren't being aggressive; these were inquisitive stares. She was safe with these people. They knew what she was and trusted her anyway. Liked her anyway. And this did affect them, like Vic had said. It wasn't just her decision anymore. If things went wrong it would end badly for all of them. Gar tilted his head next to her and frowned, sensing her trepidation. He didn't know this was about him and placed his hand over her clenched fists. Somehow that gave her strength and she pressed on, speaking to her bowl of northrog.

"I'm going down rabbit holes with my research," she confessed. "Even the things I find that might be useful I can't be sure about. I don't know enough about this demon."

"You mean the one inside Gar," clarified Dick. "Would the lab results help? Where are we on that."

"I'll have it done in the next couple days. I've got everything I just need to put it together."

"And I can help with that," offered Gar.

"It won't hurt, but I've never worked with cells. All my indicators are more… ephemeral."

"So what is it you require from us," asked Starfire, leaning against the counter.

"It's more what I need from Gar… still, if things go sideways- you all deserve to have a say."

"Name it," said Gar, giving her hands a squeeze and smiling. "You can have anything you want from me."

"You can't say that-"

Raven broke off and looked across the counter at Dick. He was deadly serious, his blue gaze piercing. It felt like he was the only one who understood the weight of what she was saying, even though she hadn't said it yet. The gravity of the situation. And why should the others be so burdened? Gar had been perfectly fine. Even when he ventured outside the salt rings that surrounded their lair he'd been fine. As if he wasn't possessed at all. But she knew, and Dick knew, that only meant the worst was coming. She spoke to him, one professional to another.

"I need to know what happened when he was possessed," she said in a flat voice. "I can use hypnosis to access those memories. It will not be pleasant. He-" She turned to Gar and met his vibrantly green, innocent stare. "You, you'll have to relive it. Whatever that witch did to you, whatever is so painful your mind blocked it out, you'll have to go through it again."

"I can do it." Raven pulled one hand out from under his and gripped his shoulder. He reached across his chest and interlaced his fingers with hers. His face was serious. "I can do it."

"And if this goes wrong," she addressed the group again, rolling her lips. "The demon could… come out. It could take control. And then we will have a… situation."

"What kind of safety measures are we talking about," asked Vic, gripping his chin and planning.

"Without knowing more about this demon? Not many. That's the problem: I don't know what's effective against it. I've never seen anything like this, I can't say if it's the amulet or the salt or Gar's immune system that's holding the demon back. Or all of it. I can set up a ring of purifying crystals, and we'll need to tie Gar down-" his hand tightened on hers. "Just in case. We should prepare for the possibility that this demon will be… aggressive."

"How soon can you be ready," Dick probed in a hard voice. Starfire floated back behind the counter and reached across it, placing a calming hand on his forearm. It did not seem to soothe him, but he had very fine control over his face. "What do you need?"

"I have what I need…" Raven pursed her lips thoughtfully, felt her pulse in the hand Gar was holding.

"Then let's do it," he exclaimed, releasing her and standing up. "Let's do it now. I'm ready."

"No," she said with a head shake. "No, now we're having dinner and then you're taking me for ice cream. We'll do it tomorrow, if everyone is still comfortable with it. You especially need to think it over; this isn't a trivial matter."

"Speaking of," Gar said after a moment, turning to Dick and rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "Hey Dick, can I have some money for ice cream?"

Dick softened a little, letting his chin dip and a tiny smile come onto his face. Shaking his head and rolling his eyes, he pulled a wallet out of his back pocket and handed Gar a $5. Gar looked at it, then back at Dick, and his large green eyes were shining with need. Dick sighed heavily and handed him a $20. At that the changeling outright beamed, punching the air. Raven looked at him with a little bit of sadness. She hoped he was taking this more seriously than it appeared- she was sure he was. Because it was serious. The whole thing was very serious. But for now, just for tonight, Raven thought, she could be in a dress and they could pretend it wasn't. Maybe just for one night, they could just go on a date. Maybe Gar was right and she could be happy. Just for a night.