a.n. Hello again! God, I'm writing a lot of one-shots aren't I? oh well, I like writing them, so :P. I should be doing assignments now, so I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I keep forgetting I'm not cartoon network. NOT! I own nothing! Cos if I did it would still be on!

Raven sat on the forest floor just outside of Jump city feeling completely miserable. The masked boy, Robin, had sent a message to all the communicators he and Cyborg had created. They were renovating the message spire the Gordanians had speared into the small island when the alien, Starfire, had landed, and making it into a house. For them. The people of the city wanted them to stay and defend the city from any further threats, for good. They didn't understand.

She wasn't a hero, she couldn't do this. She shouldn't have even gotten as close to those four as she did, because despite her better judgment, she liked them. They were the closest thing to friends she had ever had, and that was why she couldn't do this. The prophecy would be fulfilled. Whether they found out about it beforehand or not mattered little. If they found out, then they would have to kill her, she couldn't do it herself, Trigon's influence stopped her. If they didn't find out, she would kill them. You're being pessimistic, piped up Happy.

No, I'm being realistic. We can't stop it from happening. Happy sank down again.

Her communicator gave a loud petulant ring. Robin had been trying to get through for the last hour, but she didn't answer. She wasn't going. Maybe if she didn't like them so much she could go, but she didn't. So she wasn't going. And that was final.

She sighed, "Might as well meditate to pass the time." She levitated cross-legged into the air, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos."

Raven liked meditating. It was necessary for control, but she enjoyed doing it as well. With her eyes closed and her mind extended she could feel everything around her with more clarity than she ever did normally. She could feel the trees, the animals, even the people in the city, a few miles away. She could also feel the human mind nearby.

She furtively opened one eye. There, on a tree branch watching her was a green hummingbird. That animal kid. Beast boy. She smirked and opened her eyes completely, "Oh look, a green hummingbird. I've never seen one of those before. Maybe I should stuff it and sell it to a museum."

She extended her powers towards him in the form of a giant black talon. The bird trilled which changed into a scream as Beast boy resumed his usual form and fell out of the tree, "I'm not a bird! I'm not a bird! Please don't hurt me!"

Raven had to bite back a laugh for a second at the look on his face. The moment quickly passed and she returned to normal, "What are you doing here?" she asked dully.

"Uh," he sat up, regarding her, "I've been hanging out in here for a few days." He shrugged, "I heard a ring when I was a wolf a little while ago and came to check it out."

"Well you've found out what it was Sherlock, now go away."

He frowned, a little affronted, but didn't leave, "Are you gonna go with Robin?"

Raven snorted derisively, "No."

"Why not?" in Beast boy's mind there was nothing he wanted more than what Robin was offering; a home.

"I've told you, I'm not the hero type."

"You did pretty well when you took down that spaceship. By yourself too."

Raven averted her eyes, "You'd be better off if I'd never come here."

Beast boy moved next to her, "I'd be dead if you'd never come here. We all would."

"It doesn't matter. You don't understand."

"Then explain." He pleaded.

Raven rounded on him angrily, "Okay, fine; I'm a demon! A horrible vicious monster! Happy now?"

"What do you mean?" Beast boy was confused; all he saw was a pretty girl with amethyst eyes and hair, and a liking for robes, "You're not a demon."

Raven snorted again, "Look in my eyes and say that." She looked up sharply and Beast boy gasped. In place of her usual eyes there were four glowing red slits. Raven quickly closed them and took several deep breaths to calm down. "Do you see? I'd rather leave now and be remembered well than stay and eventually be thrown out on my ear because of this."

"You wouldn't be though! So what if you're a demon, Cyborgs a robot! I'm green and Starfire's an alien! It's not your fault what you are. You can't choose your past, but you can change your future."

"My future is too terrible to comprehend."

"Huh?"

"Never mind. I'm not going."

"Please come, Raven. It wouldn't be right if you weren't there."

"No."

"Please?" He moved closer and went to put his hand on her shoulder.

"NO!" Suddenly several of the trees surrounding them rose up high into the air, surrounded by black magic and smashed loudly into the ground again, sending dirt flying everywhere. Raven was breathing shakily and clutching her head with both hands, rocking back and forth with her eyes closed, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos."

"Dude! What did you-?"

"Another joy of being me." She said, opening her eyes, "My powers are controlled by emotion. Whenever I get too angry or happy or sad or whatever, they go completely haywire. Also an excellent reason why I shouldn't go with you."

Beast boy grabbed her wrist causing her to look up at him, "You're talking sense. You're not saying what you want. You want to come with us."

"How do you know? You don't know me, and I don't know you. We only met a few days ago." She was getting angry again, but this time it was out of fear. He was right.

Beast boy smiled a little and picked up her communicator from the ground next to her. "This. If you didn't want to see any of us again then you wouldn't have kept it." he paused, "You can talk reason 'til the cows come home, but you can't deny your heart."

She shook her head, "I have to."

"Why? Do you not like us, is that it?"

Ravens expression softened into her 'almost smile', "If I didn't like you, I could go. Rich irony that."

"Huh?"

She sighed, "If I didn't like you my powers wouldn't go haywire if we were all living together. The only people I can live with are people I'm impassive about."

"How do you know?"

"I just do."

"Why don't you just try?"

Raven had to fight off tears now. This is stupid, what do I have to cry about? Besides the usual anyway. "I can't! I'll end up blowing up the place or hurting someone or-" She broke off, realizing she had almost said too much.

Beast boy was slowly piecing it together, "You're not scared you'll hurt us at all, are you? You're scared we'll hurt you."

Raven raised her hood with her powers and bowed her head. How had this-this kid worked her out? It was bad enough that she had bonded with these people, but now he understood her?

"What happened?"

"What?" She quickly replied, caught off guard.

"You wouldn't be scared of us hurting you for no reason. Something happened to you."

Raven sharply looked away, I'm not gonna cry, I'm not gonna cry. "My old home. Azarath."

"What happened? Did you have trouble with your parents or something?"

"That's one way of putting it. The Azarathians kicked me out. They elected that I wasn't wanted there any longer so they opened up a portal to Earth and through I went."

Beast boy was in shock. God, no wonder she was so introverted, "I'm sorry."

She shrugged indifferently, "I wasn't that close to them anyway."

He gave her a hard stare, "Don't try to pretend it didn't hurt."

Raven bit the inside of her lip to stave off tears again, "The last thing I saw was my mother petting her doves. She wasn't even looking."

Beast boy hugged her suddenly. She allowed him to for a second; though she told herself it was only to hide the two tears running down her face. Nothing else. And she definitely didn't like the feeling of his arms around her. No way. "Okay, let go."

He released her and grinned, "How did I guess you wouldn't be a hugs person?"

Raven rolled her eyes, "And yet you still feel it necessary to hug me."

Beast boy shrugged, "Hey, everyone needs a hug now and then, you just wouldn't admit it."

Raven was silent. He was right again.

"Please come? Just try, a week, then if you don't want to you can leave."

"I-I can't."

"Please?" He looked at her pleadingly.

She remained silent, not looking at him. Beast boy continued to watch her beseechingly.

Suddenly she burst out, "Would you stop looking at me like that!"

He smirked; it was working. "I could do this one if you want." He said, transforming into a small green kitten with giant green eyes.

"I don't like kittens."

Without missing a beat he changed into a cute puppy, giving her the biggest, saddest eyes she had ever seen. Her resistance was cracking.

Raven felt unexpectedly angry. Why did he think he could make her do something she didn't want to? She didn't matter, and he certainly shouldn't be doing this. "I'm not going." She said firmly before quickly phasing into the ground.

Beast boy stared at the place she had been sitting in shock. Gone. Just like that. And he hadn't even gotten to say goodbye. He allowed himself to whimper once before rising and walking away.

Beast boy walked through the forest towards where his new home was being built gloomily. He kept telling himself that he was going to have a home now, with Robin and Starfire and Cyborg, but he was still mournful over Raven. He liked her; under her cold exterior he could see that she was a really nice person, but it didn't matter now. She was gone.

He wanted to cry. Oh God, how he wanted to cry. But he couldn't. Mento had always told him that men don't cry. Heros don't cry. But this one time, he couldn't seem to stop the tears. He kept walking, glad no one could see him, because tears were running freely down his face, punctuated by the occasional hiccup.

He didn't notice the blue-clad head watching him from a small portal in a nearby tree. Raven felt completely crestfallen, and guilty. W-we made him cry. Stuttered Timid, and for once Raven had no defense. Timid was right, she had made him cry. And she felt awful. Would it really be so bad to go with him? One of her emotions whispered.

Who are you?

Silence followed.

Raven watched his retreating figure. She bit her lip. She could go with him, sure. But should she? Could she risk getting hurt like that again? Could she risk caring? But you already care, said the unknown emotion. She was right, she did care. What harm could it do, just for a little while?

Raven closed her eyes. This was probably going to be the biggest mistake of her life. Okay.

Beast boy wasn't sure how long the woods would go on for, but he knew he had to stop crying soon. He couldn't afford to have people see him like this, especially when he was new to the city. They'd call him names, say he wasn't a hero, and cast him out. He'd already lost Raven; he wanted to at least keep the others. He was suddenly aware of a figure walking next to him, not doing anything but walking. He surreptitiously glanced to his left. He smiled hugely at what he saw; a figure in a blue cloak with violet eyes and hair. She caught his eye and smiled shyly back.

"Come on," she said, "Let's go home."

And inside Raven's mind, Affection smiled. Her work was done.

a.n. and there you go, another BB/Rae one-shot. Like it? Loathe it? Let me know! Press the review button!