AN: This is just a weird little one-shot that's been in my head for a while. No pairing. No point. Yay! R&R if you feel like it.
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"Pleeease?"
"No."
"Oh, pretty please with sugar on top?"
"For the last time Beast Boy, I will NOT go to the beach with you!" Raven snarled, turning determinedly back to her book. Beast Boy scowled.
"But Raven," he argued stubbornly. "If you don't go, Robin says none of us can!"
It was the middle of summer, and the Titans were in the main room. The air conditioning had broken down, and it was getting hotter by the minute. Starfire, Robin, Beast Boy and Cyborg were all ready to get up and go to the beach, but it never occurred to them that their gloomy friend would not wish to join them.
Raven looked up again, glaring furiously at the aforementioned Bird Boy, "Robin, don't be ridiculous. Why should I be forced to go to the beach if I don't want to?"
"We're a team, Raven," Robin stated firmly, in his 'Leader' voice. "If the four of us are going out to have a fun day in the sun, then you are too."
"Please friend Raven," begged Starfire, flying across the room so she was hovering above the telepath. "I do wish to swim in the water of salt and built large dwellings of sand!"
"We live on an island, surrounded by water. Why do you need to go anywhere?" Raven argued, still sitting in the same place she had been for the past two hours.
Cyborg rolled his human eye, "Puh-leeze Raven. You know that the water is completely polluted. Besides, it would do you some good to get out of the Tower."
"Why?"
"Um – because – err – Because you're far too pale!" Cyborg managed to stutter.
"That's right, I'm pale. And what happens to pale people who stay in the sun for too long? We get burned, we get skin cancer, and we die." Raven turned back to her book. "I'm sorry, but there is no way in hell you will get me to the beach. No chance. End of discussion. You can NOT talk me into it."
"I can't believe you talked me into this," Raven grumbled, staring grumpily out the T-Car window. Half an hour after they gotten her out of the Tower, and Raven still didn't know how they'd done it.
"Come on, Raven," Beast Boy cried jubilantly. "It'll be fun! What have you got against the beach anyway?"
Raven hesitated for a moment. Should I tell them? She wondered. Maybe if I did-
No! Fear yelled at her from the back of her mind. There's no way they'd let you be a Titan if you did!
"I don't have anything against it," she snapped after a moment. "It's just a pointless activity. There are so many more interesting things that I could do."
Robin looked over his shoulder from where he was riding shotgun. She was hiding something.
"Okay, kids," Cyborg grinned. "Once we're around the corner we are officially at the beach!"
"Alright!"
"Glorious!"
"Woo hoo!"
"Super. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can leave."
(AN: I'll let you figure out who said what )
They rounded the corner. There, stretched in front of them was the beautiful Jump City Beach. It wasn't crowded, but there were a few people there, surfing or sunbathing. The T-Car pulled into a vacant space in the car park. Four of the Titans eagerly jumped out and rushed to get the stuff from the back. Raven just sank lower in her seat.
"Booya!" cried Cyborg, looking at the sunbathers appreciatively. "Check out the view!"
"Come on Raven, let's go!" Beast Boy cried, reaching in and dragged the unwilling girl from the car. "Those waves aren't gonna wait for us! Robin, if you would do the honours?"
Laughing, Robin cried melodramatically, "Titans, GO!"
Starfire, Beast Boy and Cyborg cheered. Raven tried to get back in the car.
"Oh no you don't," laughed Robin, grabbing her around the waist and dragging her down the beach after their friends. "You're coming with me!"
Raven just groaned.
They lay their towels and umbrella in a particularly sunny spot, next to a small fishing jetty. There was a change room nearby, so Robin, Beast Boy and Starfire hurried to get changed. Raven, once again, had to be dragged forcefully.
"You're not going to make this easy, are you?" Robin grunted as he pushed her through the doorway marked 'Ladies'.
"No," Raven allowed herself a tiny smirk. If they were going to make her frolic about in the sun, they were gonna have to work for it.
Five minutes (and much pleading on Starfire's part) later, Raven emerged. Dressed in a simple dark blue one-piece with her cloak clip pinned onto it , she had never felt so uncomfortable.
"What are you worried about? It isn't that different from your usual leotard, and besides you look ho-" Beast Boy attempted to reassure Raven, but decided that finishing that sentence would not be prudent.
"I at least have my cloak, usually," the empath grumbled, sitting herself down on her towel, which was placed directly under the umbrella so the sun's rays couldn't burn her delicate skin. Beast Boy shrugged and rushed to join Cyborg in the water.
"Won't friend Cyborg rust?" Starfire asked anxiously as she got out a little bucket and spade.
"Nah, he's rust proof," Robin comforted the alien with a smile. "Are you going to build a sandcastle? Let me help."
As they walked off, Raven brought out the book that she had snuck along. Ah, well. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all.
"Hey, Cyborg," Beast Boy glanced at Raven out of the corner of his eye. "Is she reading?"
Cyborg checked, "Yes. Man, after all that effort to get her out of the house."
"We should get her in the water," Beast Boy suggested innocently. "You know, she might enjoy it."
Laughing, the robotic teen cuffed Beast Boy over the back of the head, "Yeah right grass stain. Like we could talk Raven into swimming."
Beast Boy raised an eyebrow, "Who said anything about talking?"
His metallic friend's human eye widened, "You don't mean...?"
"It's easier to get forgiveness then permission."
Cyborg considered it carefully – for about two seconds, "Ah well. If I wanted to live forever I wouldn't have become a Titan. Let's go!"
Raven glanced up from her book. Her powers had warned her that trouble was afoot. She stood up and looked around. Robin and Starfire were still building, and Beast Boy and Cyborg were – where?
Suddenly, she felt hands grab her and pick her up. It was Beast Boy and Cyborg.
Laughing, they sprinted down the jetty, with raven screaming at them to put her down. When they reached the end they hurled her off.
She sank like a stone.
Beast Boy and Cyborg sprinted back up to where Robin and Starfire were watching, gob smacked.
"Friends, will Friend Raven not kill you when she emerges?" Starfire cried, clapping her hands together.
"Probably," Beast Boy agreed, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes. " I'm surprised we got this far."
"Ditto," Cyborg grinned. "She'll thank us later."
"Guys," Robin rose to his feet, eyes on the place where Raven had gone under. There was no sign of life. His voice was calm to begin with, but he grew more panicked with every word. "Why hasn't she surfaced yet?"
The rest off the Titans looked out to sea where they'd last seen her. Robin started down the jetty, everyone else hot on his heels. When they reached the end, they looked down in trepidation.
Raven could not be seen.
The water got deep quickly from the shore. The water beneath the end on the jetty was probably 8 or 9 metres deep. Beast Boy gave a slightly worried laugh, "She's probably waiting for us so she can get her revenge."
"I don't think so," Robin argued, still scanning the water. "Guys, do we know if Raven can swim?"
Something rose to the surface. It was Raven cloak clip.
Robin dove into the water.
Dark. Dark and cold. Raven wasn't sure if she was awake anymore. She had tried to get to the surface, but she didn't know which way was up and which way was down. It was so dark, so cold. She tried to breath but got a lung full of water instead. So dark…
Robin swam down as fast as he could. He had to find her. Something white caught his eye. An arm. Raven's arm. Grabbing it, he dragged her up.
Breaking the surface of the water, Robin gasped. Starfire pulled him onto the jetty, gasping when she saw the lifeless girl in his arms. Robin laid Raven on the jetty carefully. A quick check showed the worst: she wasn't breathing.
Without thinking, Robin started the Heimlich Manoeuvre. (AN: Did you know that by giving the Heimlich manoeuvre to a drowning victim, you can change their odds of dying from as high as 42 to just 3? ALWAYS PERFORM THE HEIMLICH MANEUVER ON ANY DROWNING VICTIM BEFORE YOU DO CPR)
"Oh my god, oh my god," Beast Boy started babbling. "She's drowned. Drowned. It's all my fault."
Suddenly, Raven started throwing up water. After it was all out of her system, everyone expected her to wake up. She didn't.
"She's still not breathing!" Robin yelled. "I'm gonna have to do CPR!"
Starfire burst into tears. Cyborg turned her away from the sight, and noticed for the first time that the commotion had drawn some attention. A small crowd had gathered, all watching with a mixture of curiosity, worry and sympathy.
"Poor girl, lucky her friend acted quickly."
"Aren't they the Teen Titans?"
"Should we call 911?"
"I hope he got to her fast enough."
"Will she be okay?"
Beast Boy rounded on the last person who spoke, "Of course she will be! She's gonna be fine, you hear me? FINE!"
Starfire just sobbed louder. From behind her Robin let out a cry. Everyone looked around. Robin was smiling. Raven was breathing. Beast Boy was fainting from relief.
Raven's eyes opened a little. She groaned hoarsely, then passed out again. After making sure she was breathing, Robin picked her up. Cyborg grabbed the still unconscious Beast Boy.
"Let's go home guys."
Raven woke up slowly. She blinked her eyes open slowly. The team was sitting around her bed in the Med Room.
"Welcome back," Robin teased gently, smiling calmly.
Beast Boy's reaction wasn't so composed.
"I'M SORRY!" he wailed, throwing his arms around her. "I THOUGHT YOU'D JUST KILL ME AND THAT'D BE IT!"
"Remove yourself from my person immediately," Raven snarled. Beast Boy turned into a mouse and scurried behind Starfire.
"I'm sorry too Rae," Cyborg added guiltily.
"Oh, Friend, I am most glad you are well!" Starfire cried, clapping her hands in glee. "I shall go and make a delicious Pudding of Celebration and Joyfulness for consumption when you feel able! Friends Beast Boy and Cyborg, do you wish to aid me?"
The boys glanced at each other, then at Robin. The leader gave a tiny nod and the other boys departed.
"Raven," Robin began gently. "I need to know what happened back there – "
"Isn't it obvious?" Raven snarled miserably, tears springing into her eyes. "I can't swim. I've never learnt. When they threw me in I panicked and inhaled water. What is there not to comprehend?"
Robin just looked at her for a few moments before saying, "I see."
There was silence for a few minutes before Raven whispered, "I guess you want me to leave now."
Robin looked up at her in confusion, "You shouldn't go back to your room yet Raven, you're still recovering-"
"I meant leave the Titans," Raven interrupted.
Robin shot to his feet so fast that his chair fell over backward, "WHAT?"
Raven flinched, so Robin waited until he was in more control before continuing, "Raven, is that why you didn't tell us? You thought we wouldn't want you on the team – just because you couldn't swim!"
Hesitantly, she nodded, tears flowing freely down her face. Several things within the room shattered, but neither teen paid the slightest attention.
Robin reached out and grabbed his distraught friend's hand, "Raven, it doesn't matter. Yeah, you should have told us sooner. But now you have. We can teach you to swim, no problem. Everyone's got something they can do automatically."
"Even you?" Raven asked with a teary half-smile.
"Even I," Robin grinned back, before lowering his voice conspiratorially. "Apparently my fashion sense leaves much to be desired."
Raven's laughter drifted all the way down to the kitchen, where appliances were exploding left and right.