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"Close your eyes and think about that boy. Tell me how he makes you feel. Let your mind trace over his tired shoulders. Allow your thoughts to linger on that beautiful smile. Take a deep breath and try to push those dark feelings aside. For once let go of the reins you've wrapped so tightly around your heart. I know you are scared. Who could blame you? Love is a hurricane wrapped inside a chrysalis. And you are a girl walking into the storm."

Lang Leav, Memories

"Oh, hi there! Are you lost, little guy?" Garfield kneeled down to the toddler's level, smiling warmly as he did. He had just walked into the Wayne Enterprise Headquarters and hadn't expected to see a little blond boy sitting by the elevators playing with his pacifier.

The little boy looked up at him with wide, sky-blue eyes and smiled, showing off his tiny white pearls, a few of which were missing. He raised his hands as if he wanted Garfield to carry him. Garfield glanced around, seeing if he could find the boy's parents before he raised him into his arms.

A second later, the elevator doors opened, revealing the person he'd been there to look for. Raven looked surprised for a moment, her eyes locking with the toddler's before he raised his arms and let out a "Momma!"

Garfield furrowed his eyebrows, unexpecting of the toddler's reaction.

"Teether. What are you doing down here? Did Melvin let you run out again?" Raven took the toddler from Garfield's arms and stared him up and down. "Gar," she nodded in acknowledgment.

"Long time, no see, Rae!" Garfield offered a smile. He glanced at the little boy. "So, uh, who's this?"

Raven looked at Teether before replying, "This is Teether. I'm fostering him."

Garfield felt the same strange sensation he'd felt back at the wedding when he'd seen her with the two kids. "Oh. That's great! Hi Teether, I'm Gar." He took the little boy's hand with his fingers. "You're a cute little guy, aren't you?"

"Why did you come here, Gar?" Raven skipped the small-chat, and Garfield chuckled considering he'd predicted she'd want to get straight to the point of his visit.

"I need to talk to you," he admitted.

Raven watched him through narrow eyes and sighed. "Very well. We can talk in my office." She stepped back into the elevator, and Garfield hesitated before following her in.

"Let's hope the elevator doesn't break down again," he joked as the doors closed.

Fortunately, it didn't, and they arrived on the thirty-sixth floor of the building safely without any trouble. They took a few turns in the hallways before they finally got to Raven's office. The first thing Garfield noticed once inside were the two kids sitting on the ground playing a game of monopoly. They were the same two kids who had been at Dick and Kory's wedding. Had she started fostering them back then? If she had, how had he not known about it?

"This is Timmy," Raven introduced the boy with messy red hair. "And this is Melvin," she signaled toward the blonde girl with little pigtails. "Guys, this is Garfield, a friend of mine."

"Hi, Mister!" Melvin waved at him. "Do you want to play Monopoly with us?" she asked excitedly.

"Not right now, Melvin," Raven said before he could even offer a response. "Take your monopoly game to the common room and take care of Teether this time. Alright? Don't let him run out."

"Okay." Melvin appeared a little deflated but followed her instructions.

After she and Timmy gathered up their stuff and stepped outside, Raven crossed her arms and leaned against her desk, staring at Garfield expectantly. "I have a lot of work to do, so please make this quick."

Garfield sighed and buried his hands into his pockets. "That's it? No asking how I've been? What's going on with me? Anything?"

"From what I can see." Her eyes traced him up and down. "You look fine. And I don't exactly have time for small talk so whatever it is you want to tell-"

"I found your mother."

Her words were caught at the back of her throat, and she stared at him, her mouth opening and closing like she wasn't sure what to say.

Garfield took it as a signal to keep talking. "She lives in Jump City. I just thought I should let you know, but if you're too busy to talk even about that. I can just leave."

He turned his feet like he was headed for the door when she called out, so quietly he barely heard it, "Gar…"

He glanced at her, and she waved for him to sit on the chair in front of her desk. Garfield smiled and followed her instructions.

After a few moments of silence, she finally asked, "How did you find her?"

"I guess you could call it fate." She stared at him, and he shook his head with a smile. "I was making a pizza delivery."

Raven arched an eyebrow at the new job, and he felt the need to explain. "I've been working as a supporting actor for an indie film. I have money, but Steve's condition took a turn for the worse, and I have to use it for his treatment. So I have to get a side gig to support myself on the side of my acting career."

Her gaze softened, and she looked like she was about to say something, but Garfield quickly beat her to it. "But about your mother." He slipped out a folded envelope from his back pocket and offered it to her. She hesitated, staring at it for a moment and pursing her lips before she gently accepted it. "She gave me this letter explaining everything, I guess. She also told me to give you a message."

Raven looked up from the card.

"She says sorry. That she never meant to hurt you, and that she loves you with all of her heart and hopes you're doing well. She wrote the letter back a long time ago, hoping that one day it'd find its way to you. She understands if you don't want to see her, but she would love to see you. There's an address with a time and day on the back. She will be waiting for you there." Garfield looked to the side, avoiding her gaze. "I told you you'd find someone to love. I think this might be it." He offered a smile, though a somewhat sad one. "And your kids. They're wonderful."

He stood up. "But I suppose you have other things to do, so I'll leave you to it."

Before he could walk out, her voice stopped him. "Gar." When he looked back, she smiled, a beautiful and genuine smile that was rare for her. It made his heart flutter. "Thank you."

He smiled and then headed out of the office. He waved goodbye to the kids and as the elevator doors opened, his eyes grew wide, recognizing the person on the other side.

"Friend Gar!" Kory quickly took him to an embrace, though not as strong nor as close as her usual hugs were considering the enormous belly she was sporting kept them apart.

"Kory! Uh…" Garfield looked down at her stomach. "Wow."

Kory looked down as well and giggled. "I am six months in. We have not seen each other since the wedding. Vic told us you left for Jump City to pursue your acting career."

"That's right." Garfield glanced at her sheepishly. "I'm really sorry about that."

"Do not apologize, my dear friend. I understand it was not just for your career that you left." She smiled warmly at him, and it was then he realized Kory was a lot smarter than she let on.

Garfield smiled back. "So, how's Dick doing?"

"He is doing wonderfully. Though I have noticed he is a lot more nervous now with a baby on the way. I believe he does not know if he will be an adequate father."

"I'm sure he'll be great. Do you know the gender yet?"

"We are having a girl!" Kory clapped her eyes, looking thrilled.

"That's awesome! Do you have a name for her yet?"

Kory caressed her belly for a moment, smiling like she was holding the baby already in her arms. "We have not yet confirmed it, but we do both love the name Mari."

"Mari Grayson. Sounds like a beautiful name."

"Would you like to attend the traditional shower of the baby we are holding next month? We will be delighted to have you! Or will you be returning to Jump City?"

Garfield considered the invitation. Admittedly, he had been planning to return to Jump City and settle there permanently after he finished filming. However, coming back for only a short while made him realize San Francisco was his real home. He could be close to his friends here, and it would be easier getting acting gigs now that he had an official production on his resume. Not to mention he could be close to Steve in case anything were to happen. "You know what, Kory. I'll be returning to finish a job over there next week. I was planning to stay over there but… I think you've convinced me to come back. There's too much to miss over here to just up and leave. Plus, I get to meet your little girl."

Kory jumped a little and brought him into another hug. "Oh, I am so thrilled!"

Garfield chuckled as he felt his stomach compress from her own belly. After she let him go, he asked, "So are you here to see Raven?"

"I am here to pick up her children. I look over them while she is at work, but I had an errand to run today, so she had to bring them with her."

"Her kids, huh? When exactly did she start fostering them?" He asked, hoping to get information out of her considering Raven would probably refuse to tell him.

"She took them in a few weeks before our wedding. Their parents were acquaintances of Raven. After they died, they were put into the foster care system and were meant to be separated into different homes because nobody wanted to foster all three. Raven did not allow that to happen."

"That's… Wow, rough, but very caring of her," he admitted, smiling to himself. Who knew Raven had a motherly side hidden behind her emotionless facade?

"I have to go now, friend. It was wonderful getting to see you again. I will set for Vic to send you the details to our celebration in the coming weeks. I cannot wait for us to meet again!"

"You too, Kor. I'll be seeing you." He smiled one last time before finally getting on the elevator and heading down. As he exited the building, he found himself chuckling as he walked to his car. He sure had missed being there.

Raven clutched the letter with both hands tightly as she stood outside the dinner. She admitted she hadn't expected her mother to ever walk back into her life just like that. Raven had thought she would never forgive her for leaving her with a demon father. That was until she had her own children, and she suddenly under the true reason her mother had left her. She understood what it was to put your child before anyone else, that sense of fierce protectiveness you got any time a threat came their way.

She finally understood.

Her eyes traced the contents of the letter once more, the knot at her throat threatening to dispel at any second.

My Dear Raven,

I do not know if you will ever read this letter. I do not know if I will ever get to see your beautiful face again. I do not know if I will ever get to embrace you like I did all those times when you were just a tiny baby. You did always look at me with those big, innocent blue eyes like you knew something I didn't. Now I realize that perhaps you did know. Every night I see that face staring back at me, and you cannot imagine the weight of the guilt I carry with me. It's as if you knew I would leave you, and you stared at me just hoping it'd convince me to stay. You have no idea how much I did want to stay. But I couldn't, for your safety.

So if you ever read this letter, I want you to know the truth. I know this will never make up for what I did. It is in no way meant for you to forgive me. Only you will decide that in the end. I only want to give you, at the very least, a sense of closure.

When I first met your father, I fell in love with an image of him. He was this perfect man who claimed my heart, and even though your grandparents forbid me from seeing him, I married him. Despite all of the pain and despair it brought me once I figured out who the true Trenton was, I do not regret it a single day of my life because I had you. You've always been stronger than me, Raven. You stood up against your father more times than I ever did, but it never ended well. I never let him raise his hand at you, however. Whatever frustrations he had, he could let it out on me. But never you. And one day, after a particular fight, just as he was about to raise his hand on me, you came in and knocked him down with a bat. I still remember your expression, a kind of fierceness I never had the capacity to carry. But you were determined to save me. You even threatened that we would leave the house like I used to tell you all those times after a bad fight with him. That was the last straw for Trenton. He told me I was a bad influence on you, that I was encouraging you to stand up to him. He said if I dared to leave and take you with me, he would hunt us down, and he wouldn't hesitate to kill us. He didn't care for the consequences.

Your father backed me into a corner. He told me I had a choice, leave by myself and never come back or defy him and he would murder us. I knew he was serious. I had never seen such a serious expression on him before. I couldn't lose you. I didn't care what would happen to me, but I couldn't lose my only daughter. I would've gone to the police, but at the time, Trenton had corruption everywhere. I couldn't trust a single person there. My only choice was to leave, and truthfully, knowing you were a warrior and that you could stand up to him like I never could made me hopeful that you would find your way out later in life. I hope you do. I have no means of knowing where you are. I cannot risk trying to find out because if your father finds out, he will go through with his promise, and I will never let that happen. If anything, that is the only way I can protect you now.

I love you with all of my heart Raven. I hope that one day you will forgive me for leaving you. And I hope that we will meet again someday. That I will take you into arms just like I did back then.

With My Deepest Love,

Arella

She stared at the letter, the sides of the paper crumbling from how hard she was holding it. She looked up at the sign of the Dinner before taking a deep breath and stepping inside. There were only a couple of people there. Near the entrance, there was an elderly couple sitting by each other eating their dinner, happily conversing and laughing together. In one of the middle tables, there was a family of two parents and three kids. The kids appeared to be hyperactive, one jumping out of his seat yelling something and the other two fighting for a toy. The parents looked stressed as they tried to handle them and when their food arrived, they seemed to settle down. Finally, in the back of the dinner, there was a figure sitting on a booth looking through the menu. Her dark hair was shrouding her face, but even though she couldn't see what she looked like, she knew it was her.

"Good afternoon, Miss, would you like a table?" One of the attendants walked over with an inviting smile.

"No, thank you. I am looking for someone."

"Alright, call me over if you need any help," she smiled and walked off to attend the elderly couple.

Raven walked toward the figure, feeling her heart at her throat. Every step felt like a mile walked, and she could barely hear the music over her beating heart. As she neared the figure, she turned, and the familiar indigo eyes almost made Raven want to turn around and run out, never looking back. But she didn't. She froze to her spot, staring at the woman.

Arella stood up, staring at her daughter for a second in disbelief before running toward her and taking her into an embrace. Raven couldn't believe what was happening. A surge of emotions drowned out her thoughts, and all she could fully process was that her mother was there hugging her. She was there in flesh and blood. She was standing right there.

It took her a few seconds, but Raven finally returned the hug, burying her face into her shoulder and feeling the wetness of her eyes stain her mother's blouse. It reminded her of all those moments she had comforted her mother after a particularly bad beating or when her mother would comfort her after Raven would come back from school sad because all the kids called her names and excluded her from any recess activities.

They hugged. They hugged like it was the end of the world. Like it was the last time they would ever get to embrace. And mother and daughter, finally reunited, both let go only until they were sure it wasn't just a dream or that the other wouldn't just disappear. Both still had tears trailing down their cheeks, smiling and laughing like there was something funny about them standing in the middle of a dinner embracing like they hadn't seen each other for nearly a decade. They didn't care that half of the people in the dinner were staring at them. They could only see each other.

"Mom…" Raven managed, voice only a whisper.

Arella stared at her with a smile as big as the one she'd had the first day she had held Raven in her arms. It was the first time Raven had ever properly addressed her as her mother.

"Raven…" She took her into her arms once more, enjoying every second feeling her daughter's warmth envelop her. She was alive. She was all grown up. She was beautiful.

And she was there with her.

Raven smiled at the second hug. The tears had finally stopped flowing, and she felt a brightness in her heart that she'd been missing for so long. A brightness so revitalizing she felt like a missing part of her soul had just been returned. And she hugged her, a hard and desperate hug like she would never let her go.

And she forgave her mother.

"How did Gar know it was her?" Dick asked.

After Raven had casually mentioned she'd found her mother the following week at work, Dick had instantly taken it as a chance to talk. Considering Raven had rarely opened up even about Trigon, finding out about her mother's reappearance had shocked him. Though it was somewhat annoying she couldn't finish up her work for the day and she'd probably have to finish at home, she didn't mind as she hadn't properly sat down to really talk to Dick after everything got hectic following his return from his honeymoon period with Kory.

"I told him about her. I guess he just remembered her name and saw the resemblance. Arella isn't a very common name, after all." She shrugged.

Dick was quiet for a second, thinking about it like it was some sort of mystery he had to get to the bottom of. He had a tendency to over-analyze any and every news. Kory had told her he had even taken a minute to process Kory's news after she'd told him she was pregnant.

"Interesting." Dick nodded, a finger under his chin. "Did you know Kory invited Gar to the baby shower?"

"She did? Well, good for her then."

"Are you planning on talking to him?" he asked, a hint of curiosity in his tone. Of course, he wanted to go there.

Raven sighed. "What did Kory tell you?"

"That you had a bad fight, and then Vic told us Gar left for Jump City shortly after. Doesn't seem like a coincidence."

"Whatever reason Gar had for leaving, it was not my concern. Besides, if you think it was solely because of me, you are wrong. He left to pursue his acting career."

They were silent for a moment, and Raven took it as a time to stand up so she could get back to work until Dick grabbed her wrist and sat her back down. He took a deep breath and said something she didn't expect, "You know how I met Kory?"

"She kissed you at the airport after you helped her find the exit to her terminal."

"Yeah. But that's not the whole story."

"What do you mean?" Raven looked confused, seeing as Kory had told her the story millions of times.

"That might've been all for Kory, but for me, it was kind of a crazy life-defining moment. I wasn't even supposed to be at that airport."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, that week, Roy was supposed to drop off Donna at the airport because she was going back to Themyscira for the holidays. But the day before I had told Wally to take some time off and go have fun at a bar or something because he had just been dumped by his long-term girlfriend. Wally invited Roy to go with him, and they ended up basically blacking out. Roy called me that morning freaking out because he wasn't going to make it in time to drop Donna off since he was half-way across the city and had woken up late. So he begged me to take her since I was closest. I hesitantly agreed, and so, ended up at that airport. What's crazy is, once Donna boarded her plane, I was planning to go back to take a bite at home, but I was so hungry I decided to grab a snack. When I came out of the store, I saw Kory. She looked really distraught trying to ask for directions from the people passing by, but nobody was listening, so I was the one to help her."

He didn't say anything, and Raven stared at him expectantly. "So?" she asked like she wasn't catching his point.

"So if it hadn't been for me telling Wally to take the day off or deciding I was too hungry to wait to eat at home, I probably wouldn't have even met Kory."

"And you're telling me this because?"

Dick chuckled and leaned back on the couch. "You know, Raven, you're so much like me when it comes to our way of thinking. We're very forward and logical. We don't really believe in the concept of fate or anything."

"You're right there."

"And not that I believe it was fate for me to meet Kory, but it was certainly an opportunity I decided to pursue."

"That's great for you, Dick."

"I think you should try it too. I know Malchior and your father took a toll on you but don't you think it's worth opening your heart again just this once? I've noticed how much Gar's changed you since you met him. You weren't as caught up with Malchior, and he even found your mother. Not to mention, you decided to take in the responsibility of Melvin, Timmy, and Teether because you cared so much about them. You might not be fully ready to love again, but I don't think nobody ever is. You have to take the risk."

Raven stared at him, processing his advice. It made so much sense, yet for whatever reason, a part of her was still holding back. "What if it doesn't work out?"

"Then you'll live with the good memories you made, and you'll move on. Gar is a good guy, Raven. Even if he didn't make the best impression on me when I saw you two getting frisky at my engagement party, once I got to know him, I realized he really cares about you."

Raven took a deep breath. She pursed her lips before standing up and offering a tiny smirk. "Thanks, Dick. I'll think about it. But we really have to get to work now."

"So you're staying after all?" was the first thing Vic asked the moment Gar got inside his oh-so-precious T-car which he had recently dubbed after their official college football team, the Titans, considering he'd been a passionate football player back in the day.

"That's the plan." Garfield grinned at him.

"Man, and here I thought I would have to bring in the whole gang to convince you. It only took Kory for you to do it!" He patted his friend on the back with a chuckle and headed for the garage. "You're gonna get a new place, then?"

"I'm thinking… I might go back to Rita and Steve's old house."

Vic sent him a side-glance, somewhat confused. "That old place? I thought you were going to sell it."

"I was going to, but… I don't think I can bring myself to do it."

"Are you sure you can live there though? It's on the outskirts of the city, and you'll be alone there… You sure you can handle it?"

"Don't worry about me, Vic. I've gotten a lot better since I moved away. It helped clear my mind a lot, and even if I don't think I've fully gotten over Rita and Tara's deaths, I've accepted it. I know nothing can bring them back, and I know they'd both want me to look forward."

Vic smiled. "I'm glad you finally realized it, little man."

Garfield nodded, staring out the window.

"Did what Raven told you have anything to do with it?"

Garfield didn't look at him as he thought about the question when he finally answered, "Maybe. I'm not sure. She definitely helped, but it wasn't just her."

"Are you going to try to talk to her again?"

He shook his head. "Not if she doesn't want to. I won't force her into anything she won't be ready for. I know Raven. If she wants to remain friends, I'll be happy enough."

"I gotta admit I really thought she was the one for you."

Garfield smiled again, thinking back to the moment they'd met. Out of all the possibilities, he had run into her of all people. And though they were so different, they had connected in a way he hadn't ever connected with anyone else.

"I did too."

"Gar! You came!" Kory yelled at the top of her lungs when she saw him walk through the door from across the backyard. She ran as quickly as a pregnant woman could, which was faster than he expected, and enveloped him into a hug.

"What? Did you think I was going to back out? And miss my little niece's baby shower? Hell no." His smirk widened. Kory went on to hug Vic who walked in right behind him.

"Woah, pretty lady, Mari's looking much bigger now."

Kory laughed and looked down at her belly, caressing it gently. "She will be joining us very soon!"

"I'm so happy for you, Kory," Garfield gave her his congratulations and handed her his gift.

Just then, Dick walked over to stand by his wife, smiling at the newcomers. "I'm glad you guys made it. Roy and Wally are sitting at the table in the back if you want to join them."

"Where is Sara?" Dick asked before they could walk off.

"She was really busy this week. She was really sorry she couldn't come. With our wedding so close, she's had to up her schedule for the time being."

"That is alright, Vic. Tell her she should not worry too much before the wedding or it could cause the wrinkles!" Kory added.

Victor chuckled and shook his head at Kory's worries. "I'll make sure to do so."

Kory and Dick continued greeting the incoming guests as Garfield and Vic headed toward the back with their friends. It was Roy, Wally, and Donna, who Garfield had only known by name and face since the wedding, sitting at the table.

"Glad y'all made it," Roy greeted as they sat down.

Garfield introduced himself to Donna seeing as Vic already seemed to know her.

"So you're the guy Raven's so caught up on?" Donna mentioned, a curious and playful expression on her face.

"Hardly." Garfield shook his head with amusement. "We had a short thing going, but it didn't work out."

Donna nodded.

Roy smacked Garfield in the arm and he let out a yelp. "What was that for?"

"Not telling us the girl you were so caught up on that one time was Raven."

"Dude, I didn't take a girl like Raven to go for you," Wally joked.

"Shut up." Garfield rolled his eyes.

Karen arrived a few minutes later and joined them at the table. They spent their time talking about Kory and Dick as well as teasing Roy about his new mystery girlfriend. It wasn't until Garfield heard the undeniable sounds of Timmy, Melvin, and Teether's screams that he stopped talking.

Raven had just walked in with the kids and appeared to be talking to Kory while the kids tried to pull her away toward the candy table set up by the food. Garfield laughed lightly to himself. Teether spotted him, and instantly proceeded to wander away from his siblings and headed straight for him.

"Hey little guy," Garfield greeted him as he finally arrived by their table.

Teether raised his arms like he wanted him to carry him, and Garfield quickly took him into his arms. "What are you doing over here?"

"Woah, is that Raven's kid?" Roy asked as he finally noticed the toddler.

"Took her long enough," Karen added as she caught sight of Raven.

"Hm, Teether seems to like you, huh?" Vic smiled at his friend.

"It appears so." The voice induced an array of butterflies in his stomach.

Garfield looked up at her with a grin. "Nice to see you too, Rae."

Raven took Teether and put him in her lap as she joined the group at the table. Melvin and Timmy quickly sat down on either side of her, happily eating the dinner Raven had made them get before their dessert.

"Why so late?" Donna asked.

"Teether was feeling a little sick earlier, but he's fine now."

"Wow, Raven, I have to admit you look so much different as a mother," Vic commented.

Raven smiled a little. "They're little rascals."

For the rest of the baby shower, Kory set up a bunch of games for them to play, and though Raven looked hesitant for most of them, the kids seemed to be having a blast. Garfield was paired up with Raven on a lot of the rounds which he suspected Kory had been behind, and even though she pretended to hate it, he would catch her small smirk every once in a while.

After the cake had been cut and most of the guests had started to leave, Kory and Dick had sat down with them to talk considering Kory had been mostly on her feet the whole night. It wasn't until the group was distracted with the conversation at hand that Raven tapped him in the shoulder and signaled for him to follow her.

They walked inside the house where Garfield spotted the kids sprawled out on the living room couches snoring.

"The party really wore them off, huh?"

"This is usually their bedtime, and they like to put up a fight before going to sleep but, fortunately, not today."

They were silent for a moment, only watching the kids sleep. After a little while, they headed to the kitchen so as to not wake them.

"I wanted to talk to you," Raven said, and a wave of anxiety hit Garfield like a train. Was this it? Would she tell him she no longer wanted him in her life like she had nearly a year ago?

"What is it?"

Raven seemingly struggled to find the right words for whatever she wanted to say, and Garfield furrowed his eyebrows. Raven at a loss for words was certainly a rare sight.

"These few months have helped clear my mind besides the new stress that's been added." She motioned toward the living room. "And they've also helped me realize Mal no longer has any prevalent part in my life. And now that my mother is here, I feel like my life has never been better."

Garfield sent her a genuine smile. "I'm happy for you, Rae. I really am."

Raven nodded, also smiling at him, before she looked away. "But I've also realized there's something missing from my life, something I didn't realize I wanted until I met you."

His heart nearly leaped out of his chest at her confession. He opened his mouth but couldn't speak, so she kept going, taking a step forward. "I need you in my life, Gar. I know it might not be fair of me after the way I hurt you but if there's any chance-"

He didn't even let her finish as he grabbed her wrists and pulled her into a fervent kiss. The moment their lips touched, he felt the world stop. And for what seemed like an eternity, he felt he was floating in the clouds like it was nothing but a dream. He was almost scared to open his eyes because he thought if he did, he'd wake up. But when he finally did pull away and open them, she was staring right back at him.

He leaned his forehead against hers as he held her hands tightly like she would fly away from him at any moment. "I love you, Raven. Of course I want you in my life."

She smiled not saying anything else but instead pulling him into another kiss. And only then did she realize, she'd been in love with Garfield for longer than she'd told herself.

Raven took it to be the right time to point out, "You know, if it hadn't been for you walking into the elevator when you did, this might've never happened."

"Then it looks like the best decision I've ever made has been walking into an elevator at the right time."

Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ

Several Months Later...

"One! Two! Three!" the women yelled in unison as Sara threw her bouquet of flowers which, even though Raven wasn't even standing up to catch, 'coincidentally' landed on her lap. She rolled her eyes and put it on the table in front of her

"Your wife's got a wicked aim, Vic," Garfield laughed as the women suddenly dispersed the dance floor disappointed. He took the bouquet from Raven and took a flower out, quickly taking a sniff of it and then handing it to Melvin who happily put it on her hair. Timmy then proceeded to fight her for it, so Garfield gave him one too.

"Or your girlfriend's insanely lucky," Vic returned, Sara walking over and hugging him from behind, both watching Raven with amusement.

"Oh, I am thrilled! Will Raven be the next one passing the bouquet?" Kory exclaimed from across the table where she was cradling baby Mari in her arms and sitting by Dick whose arm was around her shoulders.

Raven's face turned red, and she avoided everyone's stares.

Garfield just laughed. "Maybe. If she says yes." He stared at her expectantly.

She turned to him and narrowed her eyes.

"Garfield Mark Logan."

"Oh, shit, she's bringing out the full name!" Roy yelled out, laughing hysterically. He'd already had one too many drinks.

"Are you trying to propose in the middle of your best friend's wedding in front of our friends without even a ring to offer?"

"You said you hated when people made a big deal out of proposing!"

Raven smirked. "Doesn't mean you shouldn't try."

Garfield looked annoyed, though still sporting a smile, as he slipped a small black box out of his pocket. "What about this?"

"Dude, do you just carry that around everywhere waiting for a good time?" Vic laughed.

Raven's eyes turned wide like she hadn't been expecting him to actually do it. There was a mix of oh's and other surprised comments from their friends surrounding them.

"Yes," she told him with a big smile right before she pulled him into a kiss.

Their friends burst into cheers and congratulations. Sara was the first one to run over to hug Raven considering she was already standing up. "I totally don't mind your fiance just proposed during my wedding," she teased.

"He sure is a doofus."

"Hey!"

"Daddy!" Teether let out from Raven's lap.

Garfield's smile only widened. For once in a long time, he felt like his life was perfect. Despite the fact Steve was still in the hospital and Rita was still gone, he felt complete like he could face any hardship that came his way.

He was happy, and he knew she was too.

.

.

.

.

Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ

"It has been said that something as small as the flutter of a butterfly's wing can ultimately cause a typhoon halfway around the world."

Chaos Theory

A/N: And that, my friends, was the butterfly effect. A topic I've ached to write about since I knew what the term meant. Wow, that was, difficult to finish, but I did! I hope it's a satisfying enough ending! It took a lot of me to write it, but I wanted to finish it once and for all! I think this is my best story here by far. But... I do think Hiraeth will trump over this one.

So here's the plan, I'm going to upload a chapter of Glass along with the first chapter of Hiraeth, hopefully by next week. I'm really hoping I can get the Glass chapter written. That story has given me a lot of trouble, but I promised myself I have to finish it! I already have the first three chapters of Hiraeth written, but I will release them maybe every two weeks, hoping to stay above the schedule so I can write one before I release the previous. I'm planning for it to be a very long story and it is not just focused on BBRae like my usual stories. This one will have the perspective of all the main five and it will have a bunch of recurring minor characters making their appearances too. It will be way more complex, with many more side plots branching off. But it will ultimately be a family and romance fiction. Also, I don't plan on making it all that angsty, it will just contain typical teenage problems, well a little more atypical, but they're teen problems. It's going to be a mix of light-hearted and serious when it has to be.

Honestly, I'm taking a lot of inspiration from Les Miserables by mad-dog13 and Anti-Kitten Birthday Party by Miss Paint. These two are fanfictions I really suggest you read, along with the other AUs I have up in my BBRae community linked in my profile! Anyhow, I love you guys, thank you for sticking with me through this whole journey, even though it took a while. I really appreciate every single one of you who favorited, followed, reviewed, and just read my story. You have no idea the warmth I feel every time I see it. It brings me comfort that I'm doing something to entertain someone during these hard times. I love you guys!

calisalex: Certainly, I realized halfway I needed to make sure this story gave off a good message. Thank you! I really appreciate it! I hope you enjoy the next one!

essa8b3: I'm so happy you like it! Thanks for reviewing!

Sanzojoe: Sorry I didn't include the conversation with Gar and Arella, I figured it'd be good to keep what happened for Raven's perspective. Hope you enjoyed it! I appreciate you being a loyal reader!

black blood knight13: Your wish is my command. Hope you liked it!

LilyTimbers: Thank you! I really wanted to make a nice wedding for those two because man do they deserve some happiness in their relationship. I wanted their vows to sound distinctly like them instead of making them the generic you changed my life. And that conversation certainly took me the longest to nail. I wanted to make sure I incorporated a good message into this story that you shouldn't let someone define your happiness and that you should make sure you can be happy by yourself before you start a relationship. I think it's important in romance fictions because this fandom sure does have a lot of younger readers who are probably barely at the start of their romance life. Hoping you liked this conclusion! Took me a few days to fully complete, haha. Anyhow, thank you so much for your continued support! I really appreciate it!