Author's note: Hello, Reed is back! But this time with some help from DG...so, I guess we are co-authoring. This story was written sometime last year but we never had the guts to post it, and I know! I said the next story I, Reed, would be posting would be an AU, but the Relief Project seems to keep my attention, so..I hope you enjoy the premise. Main characters in this fic: Beast Boy, Speedy, and Kid Flash. Oh, and some of you probably love Cheshire and Speedy. But whadabout Speedy and Wonder Girl? Oh and disclaimer: don't own Teen Titans or anything else that needs a disclaimer.

The Relief Project: Chapter 1

Garfield Logan aka Beast Boy was sick. Not the 'feeling under the weather' kind of sick, the fed up kind of sick.

He couldn't take being a comic relief anymore and not telling anyone or venting to anyone his frustrations and feelings. He knew there was Cyborg his best friend, but he only truly knew his Comic Relief exterior. He needed someone who hadn't really spoken to him or gotten to really label him a type of member in the Titans. Practically an acquaintance. He didn't want to see a therapist or counsellor because he always thought they were two-faced and liars; they don't really understand you and can be manipulative. In a way he never thought therapists helped, they just let you live on with a problem only numbing it. Staring up at the ceiling, lying on the top bunk of his bed, listening to nothing but his faint breathing Beast Boy mulled over having a benefactor, or a cohort, chum, people who had great façades as well as himself.

Yes, Beast Boy had a façade. Team jokester, comical relief in any situation, a happy go lucky kind of guy. That exterior. Truthfully he was a hurt fifteen year old who'd been let down, taken advantage of, disappointed, and betrayed. No one loved, liked, or accepted him.

Of course there was the team.

Robin had taken him in when he didn't have anywhere else to go, especially since he wasn't in the Doom Patrol anymore. Cyborg and him befriended immediately because of relatable appearances and both the liking of video games. Starfire laughed at his jokes, and he knew she didn't understand them but it was some-what of a confident booster and she was cheerful and sweet. Then there was Raven. Trying to get her to laugh or smile was something that kept him going everyday.

But lately, he thought, she had been treating him more mean than usual. Instead of ten insults a day it was twenty. Despite that though, he liked her and perhaps something more that he couldn't decipher between himself and his heart but he admittedly was undecided about Raven. Now, even more undecided.

Beast Boy plastered on that big smile of his, and swung his legs over the railing of his bed. He took two big breaths to relieve his stress and unhappiness, he now needed to act. He dusted off his uniform running his hands over it.

Smile Beast Boy, you can get through the day, he thought to himself every day before he headed to the Common Room. Walking into the hallway he unexpectedly saw Cyborg carrying a travel bag, walking in the opposite direction.

"What up Cy, where ya headed to?" Beast Boy asked eying the suitcases mock-suspiciously. The blue and silver android gave him a curt look and sighed.

"Little Green Bean if I tell you where I'm going," he said, "don't assume nothin'."

The changeling crossed his arms leaning against the wall. He chuckled. "Aw, just tell me."

Cyborg's look was still wary.

Beast Boy chuckled once more dropping his hands to the side, his face full of composure. "Alright, I won't assume anything, just tell me where ya goin'"

Cyborg smiled. "I'm headin' to Steel to check up on Titans East. 'Bee told me she was havin' problems with the security system."

"Can I come?"

"For the last time man, 'Bee and I aren't datin'-Wait, you wanna come?"

Beast Boy himself had been surprised at the question. To plunge out of his own misery it probably wasn't a bad idea to get out of the tower or Jump.

"Yeah, man," he replied, "I've never actually gotten to know any of Titans East. Sure, Aqualad and I have some type of rivalry. And maybe I already know Mãs from the Brotherhood of Evil battle. Maybe, I talked to Speedy-what? a couple times from Master of Games, after you helped Titans East from Brother Blood, and Brother Hood of Evil Battle, and then-"

"Okay BB," Cyborg said cutting him off, "you can probably come but Robin, you need to make sure it's cool with him."

Beast Boy resisting the urge to sigh in frustration nodded and walked to the Common Room.

When he walked in he ran over to Robin who seemed to have a hard time telling Starfire something.

"Hey, Robin," Beast Boy said a smirk spread across his face.

The boy wonder turned around the red fading from his tarnished face. There was sweat beads on his forehead, dropping his hands that were still slightly fidgety, his attention now on the changeling. "Hey Beast Boy, what's up?"

Starfire's confused face expression soon changed into her usual bright face expression. Her bright green orbs lighting up.

"Good after-noon Beast Boy!"

As usual she gave him a bone-crushing hug. "Uh, Star," Beast Boy said his insides practically breaking noticing Robin's mild-glare, "you can let go now."

"Oh, sorry," Starfire said, "I now need to go watch Zenon, I carbon copied it to play today even though it played yesterday! Robin would you like to come watch it with me?" The alien-teen had that signature grin of hers, hope obviously in her bright eyes.

Robin, forgetting about Beast Boy smiled at her. "Sure."

Beast Boy frowned. He was never gonna get to ask a question nor get an answer. Cyborg was probably waiting for him.

What the heck, he thought, I'll just ask Raven to tell him, easy and simple.

Leaving the odd-pair to cuddle and watch a movie he walked to Raven's room.

Before going to the empath's room, he needed to pack quickly. A couple pairs of underwear, deodorant, one outfit, and his wallet.

Done packing he walked to Raven's room smiling broadly. His thoughts were full of pep talk to himself, just in case the empath treated him unfairly mean; slams, sarcasm,... The usual?

Had reached her door he knocked. No reply. He knocked a couple more times still no answer. Frowning slightly he about teared up. Then it finally occurred to him that she might be up on the roof meditating. Bingo.

Walking to the rooftop he coincidentally bumped into Raven, literally. "Oh, hey Raven."

He only got a glare from her, she walked past him.

Before she could retreat to wherever she was going Beast Boy spoke.

"Raven, um, can you do something for me?"

If Raven tried hiding her face full of utter surprise she didn't do a good job only soon being covered up by her usual stoic face expression. "Okay, what?"

Fidgeting slightly Beast Boy smiled. "Eh, can you tell Robin if he asks where I am that I went with Cy to Steel?"

Raven sighed. "Sure... But Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why can't you tell Robin yourself, and why do you all of a sudden want to go with Cyborg to Steel City?"

Beast Boy kept smiling even though inside he wanted to roll his eyes and walk off. He wanted to request for Raven to do this one thing for him but instead he's being questioned by her.

"You know, crime rate around here's been down lately... And I wanna get out of Jump, I haven't really seen Steel City, or gotten to know any of Titans east that well."

"Hmm, what about Brotherhood of Evil Battle and the after party... Didn't you chat with any of the Titans?"

'Actually no', he wanted to reply, 'I was too busy getting insults from you and thinking of Terra to celebrate.'

"Yeah," he lied forgetting his thoughts, "but-can you just tell Robin because he's too busy cuddling with Star."

Raven sensed his conflicting emotions and uneasiness. Letting it pass she answered with a monotonous "yes". Starting to walk back to her room she was stopped by Beast Boy his hand on her shoulder which, him not knowing, sent chills down her spine.

"Raven, thanks."

Since her hood had been up he didn't see her blush. Raven smiled slightly soon vanishing with a reply, "Beast Boy, don't touch Me."

"Oh, eh, sorry. Bye Rae."

And with that he turned around and walked up to the roof. But quickly remembering his tiny luggage carrier he ran back to his room. Running back to the rooftop he was stopped in the hall. "Oh, and Beast Boy..." He turned around and realised Raven stood where she had been when he bumped into her. "Have fun."

And with that the green boy was on his way to meet Cyborg at the T-Car a smile spread across his face, even brighter before.

Once on the road Beast Boy and Cyborg talked, laughed, listened to the radio singing along to it off beat. Once by noon when it was still a few miles until reaching Steel City, Beast Boy had grown a little quiet.

He dwelled on himself. Who was exactly Beast Boy? Was he a happy go lucky guy or a hurt boy who's background wasn't exactly a sitcom? Experiencing the death of his parents at a young age, tormented in many ways unbelievably, not really gaining the best respect in Doom Patrol, and now, he didn't know.

Was he respected as a member in the Titans?

Maybe now since he lead a whole team to ambush the Brotherhood but did that really effect anything? He was still treated the same. Still verbally abused by Raven, still the weakest link in the Titans, and still in his own façade. So the answer to that question would be a no.

Putting on another smile Beast Boy morphed into a dog looking out the window his tongue out and tail wagging happily.

"Woah BB!" Said Cy, "no dog hair on my baby!"

-/-

-/-

Once Cyborg turned into the drive way of the Titans East tower Beast Boy morphed back into his regular form.

After the car was parked Beast Boy got out of the car grabbing his travel bag. He looked up at the Titans East tower and smiled faintly. Wasn't as good as their tower but they still had the same advantages Titans West didn't have.

"Yo, BB, I'm gonna go and park the car in the garage you go inside."

Beast Boy nodded and walked inside still hearing the faint sound of the T-cars engine. The tower was expectantly the same like he'd seen it before. The black and blue interior, the same boxed in furniture and compartments and utilities.

"No, Aqualad! You told me to get a movie," Speedy yelled walking into the Common Room, the hydrokinetic teen following behind, who looked extremely pissed.

"Did it ever occur to you that the movie would have been about fish?"

"Yeah, and I thought that you out of all people would've liked the movie!"

The young archer distracted himself by examining his bow. Clearly not wanting to continue this argument with Aqualad.

Aqualad grabbed the dvd off the arm of the couch and held it up to Roy's face feriously. "That's not the point Speedy, it was talking about death of fish! Fish being caught to eat! Fish being preyed on...!"

Beast Boy let out a light chuckle bringing attention to himself, "Aquadude! What up?"

The two Titan east members turned their attention towards the changeling.

"Beast Boy I'm surprised to see you here..." The hydro kinetic teen said in surprise then setting the DVD down. "Is Robin here, is there a problem or a mission we need to attend to?"

"No," he replied, "I'd just thought I'd visit when I found out Cyborg was coming here for a couple days. Crimes been down in Jump City lately...you know."

Speedy laughed dryly. "Seriously? Crime here has lowered too, but we still have to rescue cats from trees, rescue children from burning buildings—isn't that the fire department or 911's job?"

Aqualad had looked like he'd been about to talk again in objection to what Speedy said but Beast Boy spoke.

"Hey Roy, can you show me some of your arrows?"

-/-

-/-

"Dude, you didn't tell me you had a room for your arrows!" Beast Boy enthused looking around the room touching the many assortments of bows and arrows.

There were fletcher arrows, arrowheads, deflex bows, curve bows,crossbows, and tons more. Along with the electrically enhanced bow and arrows.

Speedy shrugged. "Yeah, I collect some but use 'em mainly," he picked a compound bow along with an arrow and shot it at the light hanging above Beast Boy's head-bullseye!

That one action caused Beast Boy to to morph into a rabbit and jump out of the way. Luckily he had jumped out of the way in time or he would've become relatively sharp with the shards of broken glass. Changing back to his regular form he yelled, "dude, what the heck were you tryin' to do, Kill me?!"

Speedy - again - shrugged and laughed. "What's the matter? I was just playing with you, I thought we were cool."

Beast Boy sighed in frustration. "It's not that...it's just shit I've been dealing with lately is all." He sat down on the floor.

Speedy gave him a quizzical look but a knowing look crossed over his features. "The Comic Relief Blues?"

The changeling looked at Speedy like he said "I'm Slade's apprentice."

"What are you talking about?"

"Usually when I feel like you do, I drink and sometimes I take walks."

Beast Boy laughed in disbelief. "You drink? Speedy stop playing. If you drink, then Robin most likely drinks, and that is unlikely."

Speedy shook his head and picked up a trick arrow, examining it. "Robin and I aren't alike. I mean it's not like I do drugs - he kind of shivered when he said that - but I drink when I can't deal with team stuff. You know how when you got here Aqualad and I were arguing, and he was making me feel like crap. Well, I would've went to my room and drunk a bit of spirits. But you and Cy showed up, and I don't drink that much when guest are here."

Beast Boy's face was incredulous. He was only seeing the archer for the first time. This was weird to know. "But why do you drink?"

"'Cause," he said with a shrug, "I've been feeling depressed- wait, why am I even sharing this with you? You don't have to to be in here you can go ask Bee what room you'll be staying in."

"Okay." Beast Boy said sullenly turning around. In all things he could've learned today it wasn't that Speedy was a functioning drinker. Okay, the archer wasn't a comic relief, but you might as well make up a term, and it was that Speedy was a nonchalant relief. You needed that one careless "I don't give a crap member in the team" so that the rest of the members could feel superior and important.

Before Beast Boy shut the door, retreating out of the room; he saw the look of anguish on Speedy's face clutching an arrow in his hand looking down at it. The teen realising that just like himself, Speedy was also holding on to a chandelier.

Bless his heart.

-/-/-/

A/N: Well, next chapter up soon. Thanks to whoever just simply follows..or maybe even faves or reviews.