Thank you..trouble?!

[Beast Boy]

Jump City, for once, was rather quiet. There hadn't been that much villain activety, and not really that much trouble to save or help anyone with. Beast Boy sat alone at a small round table near a pizza place. Half of a vegii combo pizza sitting in front of him. As he took a huge bit out of the peice in his hand, he had to admit, it was really boring.
No villains to chase down, to fires to help put out, not even a lost pet or item to help track down. With a loud groan he leaned back on his chair, the two front legs lifting slightly from the ground. For a long while, he just ate {and eventually finished} his pizza, and rocked to chair slowly. Just as he closed the now empty pizza box, there was a loud erupting noise down the street that made him tumble back out of his chair.
"What the-?!"
Stunned he gathered himself onto all fours and looked up to see small explosions down the street. A large grin burst over his fanged teeth.
"I never though I'd say this, but thank you trouble!"
He shouted with glee before morphing into a cheetah and speeding off to the trouble.

[whiteraven]

The explosion looked fairly innocent. A gas fire left unatended in an old wood building. But Raven had learned long ago that nothing happened 'by accident' in this city. She arrived at the crime and - ignoring the mutter of people gathering by the site of the fire - swept into the crumbling building.

There were only a couple people there in the middle of the day. Raven spent no time gathering the youngest of the children into her arms and helping the others to follow her. Just as the foundations started to fall, she led them out. Gratefully setting down the squalling three year old, she looked around. There, she could have almost smiled to see a familliar green cheetah racing towards her.

Beast Boy to the Rescue!

[Beast Boy]

BeastBoy slowed to a jog and morphed back to his human green self as he saw the building collapse.
"Aw man! I just missed it--"
BB's ear almost twitched when he noticed a familiar dark cloaked figure. Straightening up he grinned like a fool.
"Raven!"
He shouted happily and raced towards her. But he was smarter than yo tackle hug the woman, instead he stopped in his tracks and held out his hand.
"Hey Rae! Watcha been up yo?"

[whiteraven]

Raven cringed when BB raced towards her, already invisioning the tackle hug that would follow. When he skidded to a grinning stop and held out his hand, she took it gently. Then, sure that he wasn't going to try anything, gave him a tiny but genuine smile.

"Oh, you know." She said in answer to his question, her voice soft and emotionless. "I've been moving around a lot." Then, suddenly seeing her chance to ask a question that had been killing her for ages, said. "You know, I did stop by the Tower once but the only person there was Superboy. It's almost as if you've dropped off the face of the earth for the past year and a half. What have you been?"

Then, looking around uncomfortably at the crowds slowly closing in, Raven's grip on her friends hand tightened and she moves away from the many people, pulling him after. She didn't stop until they were walking a fair ways away - not far from the titans favorite pizza place.

[Beast Boy]

BB smiled at her response. Her voice still soft ane emotionless. If Gar didn't have such great ears, he might have had to hold a mega-phone up to her mouth. He was about to crack a joke when Raven began to speak again.
"You know, I did stop by the Tower once but the only person there was Superboy. It's almost as if you've dropped off the face of the earth for the past year and a half. Where have you been?"

His green eyes trailed slightly to the ground. He really didn't know how to answer Raven at the moment, truth be told. But he found himself being pulled away by her. Looking around he too noticed the small crowd, and, of course, Raven didn't really like crowds that much. Finally when they came to a stop, he rubbed the back of his head with his free hand.
"I don't really know, Raven....I just...Well since the war ended, I've just kinda been...there...you know?"
He wasn't really sure if she knew what he was talking about, but he didn't really know how to explain it. Subconciously he gripped her hand a little tighter. He had just kinda vanished over the past year, he admited inwardly. To be honest, he had felt out of place for a while, and just needed a break. Now he realized how selfish it had been.

[whiteraven]

Raven listened solomnly to BB's words as they walked aimlessly through the familliar webbing of streets. His grip on her hand tightened unconciously, and for the first time, Raven didn't feel the instinct to pull away. Nodding at what he said, she answered,

"Yah... I know." Raven herself had been unable to settle down, there were too many memories and too many things that didn't go right. She tried to tell herself she wasnt' running from the war, from who she had become. However, those thoughts fled her mind when she saw BB looking at the ground, akward, ashamed. Straight faced, she asked him,

"Hey, aren't I supposed to be the dark and dreary one? C'mon, don't tell me this is the one and only time that you can't come up with a joke."

She knew she was setting herself up for a lifetime of suffering at Garfield's elementary humer, but it hurt her to see him looking to put out.

[Beast Boy]

A half smile quirked at the edge of Gar's lips when Raven agreed that she knew what he was talking about. At least some one got it. When she finally implied that she was supposed to be dreary and him to make a joke, he couldn't help but laugh.
"Ok, ok. Since you insist. I gotta really good one, and I know you haven't heard it before."
He said sarcastically. But really, this one was quite new, even to the prankster. He lifted her hand that he had been holding and took her index finger in between his finger and thumb. Really, all she had to do was answer his questions. As he took each seperate finger one at a time, he asked a question and then took another and asked a another question. As he took her index finger, he asked,
"What does the cow say?"
He took her middle finger.
"What does the tiger say?"
He took her ring finger.
"What does the horse say?"
Finally he took her pinky after each question, and asked,
"What does Micheal Jackson say?"
Before she could say anything he gave her finger a small, quick yank.

{{If you didn't get it, it goes.
What does the cow say?
"moo"
What does the tiger say?
"rawr"
What does the horse say?
"neigh"
What does Micheal Jackson say?
"Ow!"
Which is why he yanked her finger, cause someone would usually say ow. ^_^ t'was the only joke I could think of at the moment...}}

[whiteraven]

"Ow!" Raven exclaimed as he pulled her little finger. Looking at him strangely for a second the punch-line finally made sense. Looking wistfully heavenward she droned,

"Please, somebody, just kill me now." Rolling her eyes at her friend's less than mature sense of humor, she made no move to walk away from him. She didn't know why or how, but she felt calm, at peace. For the first time since she had first gotten involved with the Untouchables.

[Beast Boy]

A large grin burst over BB's face as she seemed to finally get the joke. He almost laughed, but tried his best not to. She rolled her eyes to the heavens and made a sarcastic, yet somewhat dark remark. Gar raised an eyebrow jokingly.
"Oh come on, it wasn't that bad! I know you've never heard that one before."
He exclaimed happily. Hearing sirens in the distance he looked slightly to the side. Yeah, the cops, ambulances, and fire trucks did always seem to arrive a tad late. The noise truly was irritating and ear splitting none-the-less. Taking her hand once again, this time he pulled her along. Glancing over his shoulder back at her, he smiled.
"Besides, no one's gonna kill you. Not while I'm around!"
He said with a grin, pointing the thumb of his free hand to himself. It was kinda a sarcastic joking remark, but at the same time, on the insde, Gar meant it as a promise.

[whiteraven]

"Never hearing it before does not a good joke make." Raven answered BB's joking quibble. Her green companion tilted his head sideways, his more sensative animalistic ears hearing something she couldn't. A moment later, the breeze brought her the sound of Sirens and fire trucks. Well, better late than never.

Gar grabbed her hand and started to move away, boasting that nobody would hurt her as long as he was around. It was a silly thing to say, both of them knew she was more than capable of caring for herself, but the thought that he cared enough warmed her heart. Not about to let that known she answered sarcastically,

"Oh, thank heaven. And here I was afraid I wouldn't be able to take care of myself."

[Beast Boy]

Beast Boy glanced over his shoulder with a smirk at her sarcastic reply.
"Aw c'mon, Rae. You know what I mean....er....well I think you do anyways.."
Gar said slightly awkwardly some what slowing his pace. Really it had been so long, it was hard for him to talk to someone he knew. Even an old comrade, a friend, but Raven fell in a differant class than both of these. Or so he liked to think to himself.

{{Sorry, so short! TT_TT}}

[whiteraven]

((Awwww, that's so sweet!!))

Raven was about to let loose some brilliant sarcastic comment back to Beast Boy, but somehow the words died on her tongue - as if she weren't sure quite how to say them. It confused her, the two of them had been doing this for years - since the very first Titans. Bad joke, sarcasic comment, over and over. So why had it changed now?

She felt - different - and she wasn't sure why, but something had warmed her heart that she didn't understand, yet at the same time wasn't bad. Emberassed suddenly though not sure why, a flush rose to her cheeks, very concious of how his hand felt in her own.

"I - uh," She stammered out, and then in relisation, "Yah, I - I guess I do." And for what felt like the first time in years, a tiny smile turned the corners of her mouth softly upwards.

[Beast Boy]

Gar stayed quite, waiting for Raven to say something. Did he say something wrong? Was he sending her the wrong signals? He hoped she didn't think he was an idiot or something....wait. After a moment, he swallowed. Glancing back, he was surprised to see blush on her cheeks. Gar almost grinned but turned away and bit the inside of his cheeks so he wouldn't. She was blushing. That was a good sign, right?

That question was answered when he heard her talk. Not only did she know, but she stuttered. Gar didn't know what to say, for once. He glanced around and noticed they were walking near the docks. As he looked back at her, he saw the small smile at the corners of her lips. Finally, he lead Raven up a small hill that looked over the ocean, and stopped, slightly leaning bars that edged the small cliff-like hill. Gar slighlty smiled and lacedhis fingers between hers.
"I'm really happy to see you again Raven."
He stated quietly.

[whiteraven]

Raven felt suddenly shy around the person who had been her friend for so many years. He had been there for her through thick and thin. and now... Angrily realising she was blushing, she covered her face with her free hand. Buisy trying to bring her features back under control again, she didn't pay attention to where Beast Boy was leading her until he stopped on a small knoll overlooking the sea.

He laced his fingers through hers and she leaned against him ever so slightly. The ocean was calm today and the waves lapped playfully against the shore. Not far away they did the same on the tiny island that hosted Titans Tower, standing empty and desolate like a monument in the ocean.

I'm really happy to see you again. He said softly. Having gotten her features under control, Raven looked up to him, searching him with her deep dark eyes, and answered simply, "Me too."

((Allrighty - I'm running out of ideas.))

[Beast Boy]

{{Well we can end this thread here. It's a a B-E-A-U-tiful ending! *has dramatic, sparkly tears in eyes* }}