"Hera help you Beast Boy, if I put my hands on you!" Wonder Girl growled, looking livid, chasing Beast Boy through Titan Tower.

"Gee Donna; take it easy, I meant it as a compliment!" Beast Boy replied, as Aqualad, Cyborg, Raven, Impulse, and Superboy managed to catch up with them, trying their best to keep them separated.

"A smack on the bottom hardly qualifies as a compliment you hormonally-challenged hoodlum! Have your parents taught you no manners?" She said.

Beast Boy’s arms dropped to his sides, a look of shock on his face. He felt as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice-cold water on him.

"That’s a cheap shot!" He stammered, looking hurt. He stormed away to his quarters, Aqualad going after him.

"Come on bro, chill!" Aqualad said, keeping a few steps behind Beast Boy.

"He disrespects me and acts as if I hurt his feelings?" Wonder Girl said in disbelief, still held back by her friends, trying to chase after Beast Boy to teach him some manners.

"Simmer down Wonder Girl," Cyborg said, "I know BB can be a major pest, but there’s more than meets the eye with him. Give him a chance, he’ll apologise to you."

Wonder Girl sighed, still looking upset, but no longer struggling. Her friends let go of her.

"Come with me Donna, let’s take a walk," Raven said, "There are a few things you need to know about Gar’s behaviour. Besides, a walk in the fresh air will do us both good."

They stepped outside Titan Tower. It was a nice summer after-noon with a gentle breeze. Raven was right: that setting was very quieting.

"Well my sister?" Wonder Girl asked, "What is it of Beast Boy I do not know that may help me understand his boorish behaviour? And why did you refer to him as ‘Gar’?"

Raven looked at Wonder Girl, offering her a subtle smile, a Mona Lisa smile – probably the closest facial expression to happiness Wonder Girl had ever seen on Raven’s face.

"Your civilian name is Donna Troy, mine is Rachel Roth; and his is Garfield Mark Logan." Raven said. "I am probably the only one to call him Gar."

"You would, as you have ‘been an item with him’ in the past, my poor sister, how ever did you survive?" Wonder Girl asked.

Raven cast Wonder Girl a dirty look in response.

"What? Didn’t you break up with him?" Wonder Girl asked, giving Raven a quizzical glance.

Raven sighed. "Yes, we did. What a mess…I can sense that deep inside he still loves me, but I can also sense his over-powering fear of loss keeping him from opening up to me. I guess he feels safer being the Tower’s resident buffoon than taking the risk of having his heart broken," Raven said, shaking her head.

She looked up at Wonder Girl, with an expression of pain on her face.

"As individuals, we all have to deal with our own ‘personal demons’, Beast Boy is no different: for starters, the people he gets close to have a tendency to disappear, betray him, or die. Are you familiar with the concept of whistling in the dark?" Raven said.

Wonder Girl nodded, "Yes I am familiar with the expression: to put a nonchalant front to hide your fears and pain."

"That pretty much defines Beast Boy," Raven said, "the stale jokes, the bad puns, the incessant flirting with the female Titans…all a front. Gar also has a deep-rooted sense of guilt: when he was a child, his parents died, as did his foster-mom a few years later. He feels they died because of him. He never needed to tell me, I could sense his guilt, deep rooted in his subconscious mind. I tried to reason with him that it was not his fault, but his feelings of guilt are strong."

"Merciful Athena and I had to open my mouth and mention his parents in that hurtful manner!" Wonder Girl said, looking shocked.

"You didn’t know Donna. I’m quite sure you would have never brought it up otherwise, you are a warrior, yes, but you are also very kind and considerate." Raven said, once more giving Wonder Girl her Mona Lisa smile.

"Gar puts on a happy go-lucky appearance," Raven continued, "often to the point of obnoxiousness I agree, but trust me, he carries more than his fair share of inner pain. Death, betrayal, guilt, and broken hearts too: twice by a girl named Jill, and once again much later, by a Titan in training named Terra, who ended up betraying him-and the Titans. Gar never gave up on her though, tried to reform her in spite of the pain she caused him. Ultimately, she also died."

"Great Hera, that poor, tortured soul!" Wonder Girl said, tears stinging her eyes.

Raven nodded, looking sad. "When we started seeing each other, we were both carrying our emotional scars and wounds. Gar was kind to me, supportive of me after I purified myself from Trigon’s evil. In that respect, we were good for each other. Ultimately, he could never seriously commit to a relationship with me for fear I would leave, turn on him or die, like everyone else in his life."

Wonder Girl looked at Raven, tears coursing down her cheeks. "I must apologise to him, I was so unfair ...," She said.

"Not so fast missy!" Raven said. "Gar must learn to treat women with respect. Don’t apologise to him unless he apologises to you first, for not keeping his hands to himself."

Wonder Girl smiled. "Would I be wrong in assuming you still have feelings for him?" She asked.

Raven looked down, a blush adorning her otherwise pale cheeks. "I do, Monks of Azarath …I do!" She said, with a broken-hearted look on her face.

"We are both misfits, outcasts, if it weren’t for the Titans we’d be Circus side-show freaks by now. I am half demon; my original purpose in life was to be Trigon’s puppet, his portal to this world. I have hurt my closest friends thanks to daddy dearest." Raven paused, looked up at Wonder Girl to catch her breath.

"I broke up my best friends’ marriage for crying out loud! But I was purified, freed from my father’s grasp, and I was forgiven. Gar, on the other hand, is the product of a freak side effect of an experimental serum that cured him of a rare disease as a child, allowing him to mutate into animals. He was used, ridiculed, betrayed and hurt. Somehow, we make each other stronger, complete." She drew in a deep sigh. "But his fears drove me away."

"Then you must give this another try my sister," Wonder Girl said, putting a hand on Raven’s shoulder. "If you so love him you won’t likely break his heart, and you have come back from the dead more than once, so his fear you may die if he openly loves you is rather groundless."

Raven looked at Wonder Girl with a befuddled expression on her face. "You are beginning to sound like your step-sister!" She said. Wonder Woman’s speech to Nightwing on ‘not turning love away when it happens in your life’ had gone around a few times by word of mouth.

"Well, isn’t Diana right?" Wonder Girl said, smiling, "Aren’t Nightwing and Starfire happy together? Are Batman and Diana not happy and in love? Do you find it fair that because of some unfounded fears, Garfield and you must both be miserable?"

"Yes, I must admit your step-sister Diana’s words are wise. I confess I’ve been a bit resentful of Dick and Kory since they patched things up, though I still consider them to be my best friends. If I could only get Gar to listen to reason…" Raven said, shaking her head.

"Then let us have a word with Garfield my sister." Wonder Girl said. "We need to clear the air, and I do believe you both have a lot of talking to do. If you wish, I could spell out the obvious to him!"

"Now that would be interesting!" Raven said, indulging in a grin. "Gar can be so stubborn!"

They re-entered Titan Tower and took the elevator to the lounge. They came across Impulse, who was snacking on a gigantic sized platter of Nachos. Impulse, known to his friends as Bart Allen, nephew of The Flash – Wally West – shared his uncle’s high metabolism and appetite for junk food.

"Everybody cool now?" He asked with his mouth full, still munching.

"Manners Bart, manners!" Wonder Girl said, rolling her eyes. "Raven and I have some talking to do with Beast Boy. I promise I won’t beat him up!"

"That’s cool chick-a-roos!" Impulse said, letting out a loud belch.

"Such a gentleman!" Raven said, also rolling her eyes.

"You have no idea," Wonder Girl said, "Diana tells me his uncle is as bad – a sweet man deep inside, but very ill-mannered."

As they walked away, Impulse mumbled "Stuck up!"

"We heard that!" Raven and Wonder Girl said in unison, prompting Impulse to run for cover at hyper-speed. They snickered and made their way to the living quarters.

They arrived at Beast Boy’s quarters. Wonder Girl knocked. "Come in, it’s open!" Beast Boy’s voice said. They entered. Beast Boy was sitting on his bed.

"Ganging up on me huh?" He said, with a smirk. "I’ve already had a lecture from Aqualad on how I should treat women with respect…easy for him to say with his pretty boy face!"

Wonder Girl and Raven just stared at him silently. He looked down.

"What kills me the most is I know he’s right. I’m a real dog…," he said, standing up from his bed to morph into a bloodhound, looking up at them. He noticed the smirk on their faces and morphed back, looking sheepish.

"And I should have known better. To answer your question Donna, my parents did teach me some manners. It’s like I’ve been rebelling ever since they died. I’m sorry Donna. Patting a girl’s bottom may be okay between couples, privately, but you’re a friend…I value your friendship too much to lose it over my own childish behaviour. Please forgive me?" Beast Boy said, staring at the floor.

Wonder Girl smiled, and gave Beast Boy a hug. He looked up, a confused expression on his face. "Apology accepted Garfield. Please accept my apology for bringing up your parents in such an angry manner?" She said.

"You called me Garfield!" Beast Boy said, smiling. "No need to apologise Donna. I had it coming, maybe even worse."

"Nonetheless, I value your friendship as well, thus I am apologising" Wonder Girl said, smiling. "And I do believe you two have a lot of talking to do!"

Raven and Beast Boy looked a bit embarrassed. "You can do this my sister, you will thank me later!" Wonder Girl said with a grin, taking her leave.

"So much for spelling out the obvious to him Donna!" Raven mumbled as the door closed behind Wonder Girl.

"Hi Rach!" Beast Boy said, trying to smile.

"Hi right back Gar." Raven said. They looked at each other and lowered their eyes almost immediately.

"Man, this is awkward!" Beast Boy said.

Raven pulled her hood back. She inhaled deeply and looked at him with yet another expression quite uncharacteristic for her: affectionate, and loving. Well, perhaps not. Beast Boy had been privy to that particular look before, during the short time they were together. "And I managed to screw that up." He thought, frustrated with himself.

"Rachel, I know I broke your heart..." he began.

"Shush Gar. I have learned a long time ago to let bygones be bygones … but something has been bothering me for far too long. Am I mistaken in thinking you still love me?" Raven said.

He looked at her gape mouthed. "Straight to the point as usual Rach, some things just never change. I could lie to you and say no, but you would immediately know I was lying. I just wish…," he said.

"Wish what Gar? I opened my heart to you; offered you my love. For a while, I believed we had a chance. Instead, you chose we go our separate ways, chose you would rather flirt with the other female team members rather than be with me. I may not look it, but I can also love, I can also hurt." She said.

"I wish you could fix me!" He said, finishing his sentence, sounding like he was hyperventilating. "Fix me of that fear I have to get close to you; that fear that you’ll either break my heart or die on me if I do! Couldn’t you put a spell on me or something?" He said, almost sobbing.

"Then it wouldn’t be true love Gar. I don’t know how much clearer I can make this: I will not break your heart or turn on you. And death is a non issue: I’ve come back from the dead before or have you already forgotten?" Raven said, in a quiet, calm voice.

"I’m a real screwed-up piece of work aren’t I? Makes me wonder why you still care." Beast Boy said, looking down, wiping his eyes.

"I still care because you’re like me: an outcast. I still care because I know you deal with a lot of inner pain, just like me. I still care because I know deep down that we can help each other carry that burden and make each other stronger." Raven said, raising her voice, with a bit of annoyance.

"Believe it or not, Garfield Logan, I’m convinced we can make each other happy. You heard me right Gar I said "happy", it’s not a dirty word and we are entitled to it!" Raven’s voice had gone from calm to annoyed, and from annoyed to very emotional; realizing with surprise that she was panting.

"I am willing to try again Gar, I believe we’re worth a second chance, the question is – are you willing to give us another shot, a real one this time?" Raven said.

"I want to, Rach, good God I want to!" he said, tears now coursing freely down his face. "But I feel so useless, so damned inadequate! I mean look at me! I’m green for Pete’s sake! I…"

Raven stopped him in mid sentence. His pain was too much for her to bear - if she had ever had any doubts about ever loving him, she now knew for sure. For better or worse, she loved him, deeply. In one swift step, and before he even realized it, her arms were wrapped around him. Raven stopped him in mid-sentence by planting a kiss on his lips.

They closed their eyes, revelling in the moment. He put his arms around her, underneath her cloak and held her closer. They finally broke their lip lock, gasping, looking at each other in amazement.

"…don’t blend in well at family picnics!" He finished.

"Neither do I!" She said, smiling a happy, heart-felt smile that looked so out of place on her Goth-like features. Beast Boy did not care, to him, that smile was the most beautiful sight on Earth.

"I missed you so much! I pretended not to care, but I felt like my heart had been torn out!" Beast Boy said.

"We’ll take it slowly Gar, one baby step at a time. We both have our issues; I promise I’ll help you deal with yours if you promise you’ll help me deal with mine." Raven said, leaning her head on his chest.

"I promise Rach …I’ll try my very best! It’s time for Beast Boy to grow up!" He said. She looked up and kissed him again.

"I could really use a bite to eat," she said. "You?"

"Starving!" Beast Boy said. "Want to eat out? My treat!" He said.

"Lead the way Mr. Logan!" Raven said, putting her hood back on. As they left his room, she held his left hand.

"It’s okay to hold hands Gar, as long as it’s my hand!" Raven said, smirking.

Beast Boy snickered. "I promise Rach, no more flirting. I’m your guy, and the only bottom I’ll ever pat from now on is yours…" He said. Raven shot him a dirty look.

"…only if I have your permission to do so of course!" Beast Boy added in one breath, afraid this reconciliation with her would be the shortest one ever.

Raven saw the flustered expression on his face and laughed good-heartedly.

"Permission granted…only when we’re on our own you animal!" She whispered in his ear, grinning.

Beast Boy let out a sigh of relief and shivered from her whisper. They walked out of Titan Tower, hand in hand.

"Am I allowed to do this?" He asked, letting go of her hand and tentatively putting his arm around her waist.

She smiled and said, "You are!" also slipping her arm around his waist.

"We didn’t think of changing in our civilian clothes though…we’re sure to attract attention to ourselves." Beast Boy said.

"I think we already are!" Raven said pointing at Titan Tower, where fellow Titans were following their every move with the utmost interest from the windows. "Well, we might as well give them something to talk about!" She added, planting another kiss on him for the benefit of their peeping teammates. They gasped again.

"I’m so glad you took me back!" Beast Boy said, smiling.

Raven smiled, temporarily breaking their embrace so she could cast one of her spells. "And now, let us adjust our attire…Azarath meetrion synthos!" With that incantation, they changed into civilian clothes.

Beast Boy saw his reflection in one of Titan Tower’s lobby windows and gave himself an appraising look.

"Wow Rach! I love the James Dean look!" He said, smiling. He turned to look at her and gasped. "Wow, I…Rach…you…"

Raven grinned. She was clad in black leather pants and boots, a plain white t-shirt and black leather jacket; her hair was in a black bandana and she wore matching sunglasses.

"I take it you like the leather-clad biker chick look!" She said, striking a pose, smiling seductively.

He nodded. "Like it? I love it, you’re drop-dead gorgeous!" he said, looking at her gape-mouthed.

She smiled again, a look no longer so out of place in her new attire, putting her arm around his waist again. "Why thank you Mr Logan! And don’t worry – it’s pleather. No innocent animals had to die for this outfit!"

He smiled. "My car’s in the shop, do you mind if we cab it?" He asked.

"Not at all Gar. Dinner at Mario’s? That’s one of the few Restaurants we both like, and the staff know us, we’re likely to have the most privacy there." Raven said.

"A wonderful choice!" Beast Boy said. "Vegan cuisine for me, non vegan cuisine for you and a wonderful, grateful staff at hand – we saved their business more than once!"

They walked leisurely to the closest street corner to hail a cab. Raven’s spell also made Beast Boy’s green skin look its pre-serum Caucasian shade to onlookers.

"Rachel?" Beast Boy asked as they hailed a cab.

"Yes Gar?" Raven said.

"Thank you for the second chance. Don’t hesitate to slap me at the back of the head if I ever act like a jerk again!" He said, with a smirk on his lips.

Smiling, she held his face in her hands, and kissed him again as a Cab pulled over.

"I think this is a better incentive than a slap at the back of the head ever would!" She said. They climbed in the cab.

"Mario’s on Park please?" Beast Boy said. The driver nodded and drove off. As the cab made its way to their favourite restaurant, Raven discreetly snuggled with Beast Boy, wrapping her arms around his left arm, leaning her head on his shoulder.

Even an emergency call to action from Titan tower could not have spoiled their happy mood.