"I might appear confident and chatty, but I spend most of my time laughing at jokes I don't find funny, saying things I don't really mean - because at the end of the day that's what we're all trying to do: fit in, one way or another, desperately trying to pretend we're all the same."
~Tabitha Suzuma

–•–•–•–

"Garfield!"

"I'm sorry ok?! She wanted to go outside!"

"No no no this wasn't for her, this was for your own selfish purposes! And you almost got Raven killed!" Gar and Dick were going at it on the terrace while Vic and Kori were tending to Raven in her bedroom. Gar had already given her CPR (yes that kind of CPR) at the beach. She was relatively ok, but her skin was still a little blue and she was in and out of consciousness from time to time.

"But she's not dead! I saved her! It's not my fault they tried to drown her!"

"But they did anyway. Didn't you say you could defend her? What did you do? Ask them to let her go?"

"Maybe..."

"Gar if you want to protect her then you need to use more than just assertive language. They don't listen to that. They listen to actions. That's how you get it through their thick sculls that you're not to be messed with. But until then, once they find out Raven isn't dead, they'll try and find her again."

"Getting in the house? They can't do that. They're too stupid."

"Not if they have Terra."

"Oh."

"You're not seeing her." Dick replies forcefully.

"What?! You can't do that Dick c'mon! I'm the only one she really trusts!"

"I don't care Gar. You're a safety hazard to her."

"Dick! You can't do that!"

"I can and I will. Next time actually use your fists." Dick leaves and shuts the door behind him.

"Use my fists?" He gave a long sigh. It's been a while since somebody told him that.

Dick went to check on Raven.

"How is she guys?" Dick asks. Raven turns to him and then looks at the corner next to her. Her eyes are empty and glazed over. Her skin is no longer blue.

"She will not speak to us." Kori says sadly.

"She's been sitting here like that for the last fifteen minutes man. We asked her to stand up and she wouldn't move. We asked her what happened and she wouldn't answer." Vic still has his jersey and his eye black on. It is smudged though.

"I believe she remembered something. That is the face I make when I am deep within thought." Kori thinks aloud. Raven simply looks up at Kori. A small smile flashed across her face for a millisecond, but then disappeared as soon as it appeared. She went back to staring at the corner.

"How do you know? It could have just been the shock."

"You know what I do know? It's that you just don't want to admit that Gar's plan was actually a good plan and that we were wrong to tell him no." Vic smirks.

"Gar's plan was terrible. She almost died."

"But she didn't. Gar saved her. And she couldn't have gotten nothing from that experience dude"

"Bull. She won't even talk to you."

"Perhaps we should bring in Gar. She might talk to him."

"I told Gar not to see her." This got Raven's glazey-gaze away from the corner and un-glazed. "He's a safety hazard."

"That, and he's the only one she fully trusts. What, are you trying to make her hate you? Ease up man. If Gar wasn't there she'd be at the bottom of the bay."

"If Gar wasn't there she wouldn't have been in the bay in the first place." Raven's face changed from empty to slightly annoyed. "Gar isn't seeing her. That's final." The face of annoyance turned to a face of anger.

She got up and stood straight in front of Dick. Then she suddenly grabbed him by the collar of his shirt with her bare hands.

"You have a lot of nerve Richard. Ordering your friends around like some sort of king. They're called friends for a reason. You don't get to decide everything." She spoke calmly, but it was evident that she was angry. "And for your information, I did remembered a lot of things on that trip. I remembered killing my own mother and while I was unconscious. I remember you, and Vic, abandoning me." She threw him to the corner and held him there by the collar of his shirt. "Just because you're the rich kid doesn't mean you need to act like one. You're better than that and I can sense it. If you keep acting like a spoiled brat the only reason these guys will keep you around is so they don't have to pay rent." She let him go and he stood there stone-faced. "Wipe that look off your face." She wrapped her magic around her hand and bitch-slapped him. There was a bright red hand mark on his left cheek.

"Where's Garfield?" She asks.

"On the terrace."

"As for you two, make sure that he doesn't always get his way, or else you'll get a taste too. Don't make me follow up on my promise."

She slams the door on the way out.

She looks down the hall and sees Garfield through the glass door.

She opens it so quietly that it hardly makes a noise.

"Garfield?"

"Ahh! Oh. It's just you. Dick said I wasn't supposed to see you."

"I took care of that. You won't be hearing much of him for a long time. I made sure of it."

"You didn't, kill him, did you?"

"No. I probably killed his morale a little though." They laugh a little. "Thanks for saving me." She adds.

"No problem." He looks back out at the water. The wind whips their hair.

"Thank you for taking me out. I remembered a lot of things."

"You did?" Raven nods.

"When you said that they were the people I've been running from for the last two years, I remembered...killing my mother..."

"Raven..."

"And I remembered Dick and Vic telling me to leave... Why would they do that to me? Without you I don't have anyone..."

"Well...what about your father? You've never mentioned him before."

"There's a reason." She states. "He cursed me to be this way. At least that's what I consider it. Other people tell me it's a gift." She looks at her hand.

"'Cursed you to be this way'?"

"Long story short he...did things...to my mom...and attempted to use me to do very bad things. But it wasn't just him."

"What?"

"I'm a lot more powerful than I'm allowed to show Garfield. Based on what I've seen and what I remember, you've seen some of it. But you've never seen me at my worst."

"Raven?"

"Yeah?"

"What are you, exactly?" She lowers her head and closes her eyes.

When she lifts her head up her eyebrows turn into another set of eyes and all four are red.

"A demon." Her warped voice states clearly as she flaunts her fangs.

Gar takes a step back in fear. That brings her two eyes back and she looks longingly at Garfield.

"I'm sorry. That happens when I relive my past. My father is a demon. My mother is a human. I'm not a full demon. I'm half and half. But I still don't like it." She pulls up her hood. "And now the only one left in my life is my deadbeat father."

Even though her eyes are closed and the shadow hides them, Gar can see a tear escape from them.

He straightened up and walked to her. He wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace.

Raven's initial shock was dashed with comfort.

Then another memory followed suit.

"I made up my mind a bit ago. I'm wiping my memory and everyone's memory of me. No more thugs. No more police. No more me. I'm doing it tomorrow, and you don't have to worry about a thing anymore and you can just go back to your lives. It'll be like it never happened." She looks at Gar straight in the eyes.

"Are you crazy? Don't do that! We'll figure something out!"

"No you won't. I've made up my mind. I've already made up my mind to do this." She grabs the sides of Gar's face and pulls him to her lips. As they connect Raven's emotions go haywire. So do Gar's. She keeps it (somewhat) brief as she starts to tear up.  She breaks and then she can't even look at him. She doesn't want him to see her cry.

But he is seeing me cry. Raven thinks. It only makes her cry more. No noise. Just tears.

Quietly sobbing.

They release the hug. Raven's tears don't stop. She stood there quietly sobbing, lamenting over the fact of who she is and why she's even alive. The horror that was drowning replayed over and over in her mind.

Quietly sobbing.

Gar pulls over a few chairs and they sit. He puts his arm around her brings her closer to him. She doesn't hesitate to bury her face in his chest, dampening his jacket with her still-flowing tears.

Quietly sobbing.

Soon Gar's soft heartbeat slows her tears and lulls her into a peaceful sleep like a young child with her parent. Gar does the same in five minutes time.

Quietly sleeping.

Somehow they're both exhausted at 1 PM.

Peacefully sleeping.

–•–•–•–

"What is it Rock Girl?" Vic asks.

"Don't call me that!"

"I can call you whatever I want. I'm not your friend, and your not my friend's girlfriend. Go away."

"I just wanted to talk to Gar."

"Fat chance. After what you did to us, I'm pretty sure none of us want to talk with you. You're lucky I'm in a good mood, or I would have slammed the door in your face a long time ago."

"They offered me money! What was I supposed to do?"

"If you wanted Gar back? Not taken it."

"You would have Vic."

"Go drink sewer water. Don't you live down there? Or is your rich girl blood too perfect?"

"Excuse me?!" Vic slammed the door and locked the deadbolt.

"Heh heh."

"Who was it Vic?" Dick asked.

"Terra. She wanted to talk to Gar." Vic replied.

"She did? Why?"

"Beats me. Hey, where is Gar anyways."

"I think he's still on the terrace. He and Raven have been out there for like 4 hours." Dick sneered unhappily.

"Really? Guess they had a lot to talk about." Vic looks down the hallway.

"Yeah."

–•–•–•–

Terra walks down the street with a scowl drawn on her face with permanent marker.

I will get to her. I want that money. I need that money. He's always with her. I just have to catch them alone. Screw you Vic!

She pulls out her phone and looks at her text messages.

Daddy
Hey Terr. Doctors say Brion isn't getting any better. Did you find anything?

She texts back.

I've found a way to get money for the meds. I just need time.

...

Daddy
We might not have time. But alright.

Bye dad.

Terra let out a long sigh.

"Rich girl blood" Pfft. I'm not so rich anymore Victor Stone.