A/N: I don't own anything of the Teen Titans. I'm also a miserable author, for waiting so long before finishing this story. Yes, this is the Final Chapter. After nearly two and a half years, this is it.

My excuse for not posting? I got stuck. I got three-quarters of the way through this chapter, got stuck on a tricky scene I just couldn't find the words for, and ended up setting it aside for far too long while I tried my hand at other projects. For my faithful readers still remaining, thank you for sticking around.

If you've read this story in the past, but not recently, I highly encourage you to go back and reread "Training, Part 2" because Changeling's description of how his powers work plays a major part here. Also, Read last chapter or two, at least, to understand where the opening scene comes from and why it's important.

Now, without further ado: the conclusion of "Raven's Howl."

It was like some kind of bizarre Mexican Standoff.

Three figures stood in the slowly increasing shadows of Jump City dusk, waiting on some unknown signal.

Inside, the party was in full swing. City officials were flushed from dancing and drinking, local celebrities and heroes were engaged in lively, spirited conversation, and businessmen were considering whether the room was warm enough to justify loosening their neckties.

On the patio, however, the air was chilled, and it had nothing to do with the actual temperature.

Raven nearly shivered at the icy resentment rolling off her date's aura, matched only by Dr. Minerva's stoic resignation.

No one spoke, and Raven wondered whether Changeling even realized she was still there… or whether he was waiting for her to leave.

If so, she thought, He's got a long wait ahead of him. No way am I leaving him alone right now.

Changeling wasn't stupid, but she remembered his stunt with the reporter when they arrived and she wouldn't put it past him to do something rash when he was so clearly worked up.

"Where is it?"

Raven almost didn't realize Changeling had spoken, so sudden was his sharp, clipped question.

His eyes never left the red-clad woman in front of him, his voice demanding.

Raven only caught a hint of frustration from Cheetah at his borderline rude aggression. It was mostly tempered by what felt like a knowing, resolute… regret?

"I don't have it anymore," she offered softly.

Changeling's jaw tensed. "Who'd you sell it to?"

Cheetah's eyes widened in alarm. "No one! The League confiscated everything from my lab when I joined the program, I gave them my notes, the equipment, and all my samples…"

Raven didn't understand what was going on, until…

"Including yours."

A sharp breathe betrayed her as Raven realized what was going on. She had a sample of Garfield's DNA?!

As a profession, vigilantism (or super-heroics, depending) ran certain risks… and certain responsibilities.

Nightwing had worked with them all to identify these early on in their tenure as a team, looking for things which might make them targets for people with malicious intent. Cyborg was obvious: his advanced technology could easily be adapted by hostile nations/individuals into weapons of war. As a result, the Titans were excruciatingly meticulous in accounting for every piece of Cyborg's tech they took with them from the tower, and Cyborg kept detailed logs of his research, patents, tools, etc.

Raven had to be conscious of certain gems and mystic items, which could- in theory- store her magical energy for use (or misuse) later.

For Changeling, the risk was slightly less obvious, but decidedly more dramatic.

Basically, Changeling himself- his DNA- was a high-value target for a malicious super-genius.

The Titans weren't medical specialists in any sense, but it didn't take much to imagine a species-indiscriminate, highly-adaptive, rapidly-reproducing bacteria or virus originating from a dark, secret lab should Changeling's DNA ever be acquired by the wrong people with the right skill sets.

And Cheetah had obtained a sample.

Raven resisted the rise that threatened to redden her eyes as Changeling worked his jaw loose enough to respond.

"Do they know?"

"No," Cheetah replied. "I'd intended to dispose of it, actually, just hadn't yet. The vial wasn't even labeled."

Now Raven was confused. "Dispose of it?"

Cheetah nodded, eyes furrowed in memory. Raven sensed… frustration?... in her aura.

Changeling was apparently as confused as Raven. "Why? What did you find?"

The woman in the red dress sighed, her shoulders sagging.

"Nothing."

The two Titans stared on in cautious confusion as she paused, waiting for her to continue.

"When I first drew the sample, I knew my lab was compromised. I had to get out fast-"

Cheetah tore through her lab in a frenzy.

Crimson blood from the green animorph filled the bag slowly, there was no time to collect a full sample with the rest of his team no doubt approaching.

She backed up her hard drives onto a flash drive, grabbed an insulated backpack with a small chiller for the blood sample, and set about opening cages.

Barbera Minerva wasn't a monster- despite what some might say of her appearance. She knew these cats were suffering, and it tore at her heart when she saw the way they responded to her approach. I'm sorry, she apologized in a low purr, hoping they could see it in her eyes.

She hated what this on-the-run lifestyle of research forced her to do. She needed to understand what happened to her, needed the live specimens to draw fresh DNA samples and test possible solutions, but constantly stealing or finding food for the variety of specimens this deep in the jungle was borderline impossible. Most of these animals would need to be nursed back to health before being relocated- a responsibility she suspected the animorph would see to.

She tore the locks off as many cages as she could without fussing for keys or risking larger cats preying on the smaller ones, and knew she was running out of time.

Withdrawing the tap from her unwilling donor's arm, she set him such that his body would put pressure on the hole until the blood clotted.

The prudent thing to do would be stashing the half-full blood bag in her pack and getting the hell out of there… but this was a breakthrough she couldn't resist. After all, it could be weeks before she found another lab with the equipment she needed, and curiosity was getting the better of her…

…despite the ominous proverb that came to mind.

Growling in frustration, Cheetah rushed to one of the remaining upright lab tables. Grabbing a syringe, she drew a drop of the red liquid from her sample bag and placed it on a microscope slide. Dialing in the magnification and focus, she set out to observe just what bizarre phenomenon she could of the animorph's cells before she had to run.

What she saw sent a sinking feeling in her gut.

Before her eyes, the cells were breaking down.

Cheetah watched as red blood cells which ought to stay stable for at least a couple days decomposed in a matter of seconds, spilling their cytoplasm and interior structures as the cell walls decayed.

Breath jagged, Cheetah ran to a specialized piece of equipment she'd only barely managed to get this deep into the jungle- a tunneling electron microscope. It had cost her a small fortune on the black market, but it was one of the few ways to view DNA strands in real-time.

Her heart lurched at what she saw on the screen.

DNA seemed to crumble in front of her, the weak hydrogen bonds holding the two chromosome strands giving out entirely, for no reason. The individual strands split, the covalent bonds apparently unable to resist whatever decay was setting in.

In a matter of minutes, there was nothing left of the sample but loose proteins and tiny, useless strands of sugar.

Tears of rage and frustration- and more than a little disappointment- welled in her eyes as Cheetah set out towards the back of the cavern. There was a small opening further in that led to another exit, she didn't want to risk running into whoever was on the other end of his communicator.

Maybe I can reconstitute the DNA, she clung to whatever hope she could. There are people, resources. Maybe technological, maybe even magical, but I have to find a way…

Just before leaving the cavern, Cheetah cast a forlorn look over her home for the past four months, over the specimens she'd stolen from zoos or captured in the jungle, and over the young man she'd tranquilized. Already an ocelot was pawing at his hair as though asking to play.

I'm sorry, she offered them all as the sound of approaching footsteps reached her enhanced hearing. She gripped the shoulder strap a little tighter as she set out the back exit. But if it's any consolation, I promise I won't let anyone abuse this. I'm responsible for enough abuse already.

"I tried everything," Cheetah whispered, her voice lost in the memory. "All my contacts, legitimate or criminal. Nobody could restore the DNA. My operating theory is that whatever holds your DNA and cells in one form barely keeps them from decaying- it must need to be in a constantly unstable state to change the way yours does."

"Once removed from your person, that connection is severed, and the DNA decomposes rapidly and absolutely. The sample is worthless, it was almost as soon as I took it."

The three stood in silence as everyone processed Cheetah's analysis.

"Well Rae," Changeling broke the silence with a humorless sigh, "You always did say I was unstable."

"I said there was something loose in your head," Raven corrected. "A position I maintain, by the way."

Changeling's slight grin wasn't much, and contained less mirth than it did relief- after all, at least his DNA wasn't being used to create the next plague- but it was something.

Raven felt a wave of sorrow sweep out from him as he steadied himself with a deep breathe.

"So… my DNA decomposes as soon as it's no longer attached to me," Changeling summarized. "If the process is as fast as you're saying, there's no way my DNA would survive intact for long once removed from my person…"

"What you're telling me," He addressed the former-criminal, "Is that I'm infertile."

Raven and Cheetah both blinked in rapid succession, struggling to follow the rapid shift in conversation.

Garfield's never talked about kids, even in abstract, Raven realized, but he loves children, and if he's got the instinct to procreate… It wasn't something she'd considered, but if the disappointment radiating from her teammate told her anything, it's that this meant more to him than she'd realized.

Apparently Cheetah noticed, as well.

"I'd need to run a more specialized test to be certain," the biologist hedged, "and this isn't my area of specialty… but from what I witnessed, yes, that is the most likely outcome."

Raven caught Cheetah stealing a glance towards her, caught her uncertainty and awkwardness.

Raven gave her a pointed glance to the party inside. Okay, this has gone long enough. The sample is safe, Gar doesn't want to rip her head off, I'll take it from here.

Cheetah got the message. She gave Changeling a wide berth as she headed to the door.

"Cheetah?"

She stopped as Changeling called out to her. Raven could feel his disposition harden in his psyche. Apparently, there was still one issue unresolved.

His voice was steel as he refused to turn, letting his voice carry in the cool evening air. "Cy likes you. For whatever reason, you make him happy. Our business is in the past: you did what you did then and I'm willing to let you have another chance because my best friend trusts you and I want him to be happy."

Changeling turned then to level a glare that even Raven would have shifted under.

"But I will be swinging by your office in Star Labs from time to time. If I get even a hint that the animals you use for research are not treated with every ounce of care and responsibility you failed to show in the jungle, the I will personally rip your tail off, skin it, burn the fur, and eat the meat in front of you while crushing every last bone between my teeth."

There was a beat of silence as the coldness of his voice resonated.

"And if you're really, really lucky… I'll do it in that order."

Raven felt a rush flow through her at the sheer power, the absolute ruthlessness in Changeling's threat. Be it her demonic heritage or something else, there was something both exciting and terrifying in Garfield's resolution.

Clearly, there was no mercy to be spared on this topic twice.

Raven felt the unease land deep in Cheetah's psyche as what were assuredly visions of snapping wolves and roaring bears danced in front of her wide eyes.

She nodded slowly, and Raven caught the slight shake of her hand as she reached for the knob and escaped to the warm buzz of the ballroom.

The door closed, the din of the party disappearing into the quiet chirping of crickets around them.

For a brief moment, Raven and Changeling stood in silence, only a slight breeze occurring between them as she sought some way to break the ice.

Raven felt Changeling's aura shift from the cool anger back to the deep melancholy of Cheetah's revelation, and she spoke before she knew what she would say.

"I didn't know you wanted kids."

Changeling coughed, composing himself.

"I don't, I guess. I mean, not anytime soon," he reflected, turning to look away from the party and out over the city. "But, someday, yeah, I do… I mean, I did. I never really thought it out, I guess. I mean, raising kids while fighting bad guys every day? What if something happened to me? I'd never want to leave a kid like that, but then, I never pictured myself retiring either. I don't know…"

He lapsed into silence again.

"Didn't you ever want kids?"

The question caught Raven unprepared, but she was saved having to answer.

"Of your own, I mean. I know Melvin, Timmy and Teether look at you like a mom, an older sister at the least, but didn't you ever consider raising a family?"

Now it was Raven's turn to stare over the city as she considered her response. It didn't take long.

"Before I turned 16, I never thought I'd live long enough to consider it. Since then I've been too busy being a Titan to even consider dating, much less children. I don't even think I can."

She felt the surprise in his aura. "Why not?"

Raven sighed. "For lack of a better term, I'm mixed-breed. You know as well as I do that mixed-breeds are rarely, if ever, fertile."

Raven felt the acknowledgement in Changeling's silence.

"It's probably for the best, anyway. My childhood- learning to control my powers- wasn't the kind of thing I'd want to someone else to go through. And if I did have kids, they'd probably have the same struggle with controlling Trigon's energy that I do. The prophesy has come and gone, but the power is genetic, and while a quarter-demon is probably less dangerous than a half-, I don't know if that's the kind of thing I want to pass on."

Raven could feel the depression ring in Changeling's aura… felt it mingle with her own.

For varying reasons, it seemed neither of them could have children… but neither wanted to give up on the idea of family, either.

Probably because I never really had a family, Raven reflected, while Garfield did and it was taken from him. Even the Doom Patrol didn't fill that void, not really.

A thought occurred to her then. Maybe it was inspired by the Doom Patrol and their relationship with Garfield, maybe her own with Melvin and her brothers, but it offered a ray of hope she was certain Garfield would latch on to.

"How many superheroes do you know who have kids?"

Changeling blinked, thinking. "Not counting clones, younger cousins, parallel-dimension counterparts-"

"Exactly." She cut him off. "Biological children."

There was a pause.

"None."*

She could feel his sorrow deepen, but Raven wasn't done yet.

"How many superheroes do you know who've adopted, or as good as?"

Changeling's ears perked up. "You mean like you did with the three munchkins? I guess… Batman, Green Arrow, Batman again, Martian Manhunter's got a niece, Wonder Woman too, Flash, oh Rita!, did superman technically adopt supergirl or are they both adopted by someone?-"

Raven grinned as Changeling's mood lightened.

"Exactly. In our industry, active heroes don't have kids, Gar. We take in children who need more than a normal person can provide, or who don't have anyone else to look out for them."

Changeling finally looked at her, and Raven focused on the green of his eyes.

"You may not be able to have kids, I can't either, but that doesn't mean you won't have children you call your own one day."

Changeling's one-tooth grin warmed her against the chill of the evening air.

"But then, how will I ever pass on my dashing good looks to the next generation?"

And… there went the moment.

"Somehow, I think the world will survive," Raven quipped, turning to look in towards the bustling party.

Changeling pouted as he sidled up next to her, but she could feel the smile in his aura.

Through the window, Raven watched couples dance- a fast waltz that cycled the party-goers across their view.

Some she recognized, most she didn't, but one couple was hard to miss.

Cyborg and the holo-cloaked Cheetah made a stunning contrast- his blue circuits and strength paired with her elegant red dress and athletic grace.

She knew Changeling saw them too when he stiffened beside her.

"She's going to figure out you don't eat meat sooner or later," Raven observed pointedly.

Changeling chuckled. "You never know, I might make exception for cheetah tail. I hear it's a delicacy, you know."

"If I see you chasing tail, Garfield, hers or otherwise, I will send you to a very lonely dimension for a very, very long time."

Both Titans recovered from their shock from the innuendo at about the same time…

If I don't get this stupid, smart-mouthed, impulsive bravery under control… Raven started, but didn't have a chance to finish the thought before…

Changeling's hand was on her hip.

No, scratch that…

…that was definitely not her hip.

Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos….

"Garfield?"

"Yes?" His voice was low, husky…

"What are you doing?" Raven fought to keep her voice even, her energy from spiking…

"Checking for a tail."

Deep breaths, deep breaths….

"You know I don't have a tail."

"Mmm…" Changeling hummed, whispering low in her ear, "then I guess you don't have to worry about me chasing any, do you?"

Behind them, a planter filled with shrubbery cracked in half.

Changeling withdrew his hand, but not without dragging his sharp tipped fingers across the leotard-like underlayer- considerably thinner than her normal uniform- under the back of her skirt.

It was an… electric sensation.

Raven gasped, her back arching at the surge flowing through her, emanating from his touch.

Several stone pavers cracked around them.

Changeling hands were now clasped behind him, a perfectly innocuous pose… anyone looking at them from inside the party would have seen nothing.

"I guess that means your research didn't work?" Changeling ventured, a hint of pinched anxiety in his voice.

Raven took a moment to compose herself, to will her heart back into some semblance of a normal beat pattern.

"No, I mean yes, it did," Raven glared at him. There was only a hint of maroon blush visible on his green cheeks in the dim light, but enough to know he was probably just as affected by that little stunt as she was.

"I just need to go get something from Nightwing."

Changeling swallowed visibly. "Uh, Nightwing's kinda out on the dance floor with Star, so-"

Raven sensed opportunity in his nervousness, so she struck.

"I guess we'll just have to dance our way to them."

Poor Changeling was already halfway into the portal before the chill set in.

Changeling found himself in the center of the ballroom floor, completely surrounded by dancing businessmen and city officials.

Raven stood in front of him, grinning like the cat that had cornered the canary.

Well, "grinning" for Raven, at least. It translated into a surprisingly terrifying smirk.

Okay, let's see if I can survive this…

Gulping, Changeling raised his left hand to Raven's shoulder-level, palm up, as invitation.

He could have sworn her eyes twinkled as she rested her fingers on his palm.

What's her game, here? Changeling wondered. I never figured Raven for a dancer…

Is she bluffing? The absolute sureness of her eyes- the challenge in them- just dared him to call her on it-

So he did.

Rather than draw straight into "closed" position, Garfield flipped his wrist and drew it in a large counter-clockwise circle over Raven's head, leading her hand- and thus the rest of her into a spin.

As she came out of the turn, Changeling stepped in and slipped his right hand under her left arm, resting his hand on the small of her back.

Raven appraised him with an upturned eyebrow as she lay her left hand on his shoulder and they set into a slow two-step.

Okay, follow the music, Changeling focused. Long-short. Long-short. Long-short backwards. Long-short, long-short, then back. Okay set a rhythm… Don't lose the pattern-

Of course Raven broke his line of thought.

"You can dance?"

Changeling faked offense. "What, you expected me to trip?"

Of course, that would be the moment he'd miss a step and stumble.

Raven's lips pinched together as she tried not to break composure…

"I meant to do that," he assured, sweeping them back into rhythm with the music.

But Raven wouldn't leave the point alone.

"When did you learn to dance?"

Sighing, Changeling surveyed the crowd just over Raven's shoulder for their perpetually masked leader. "With the Doom Patrol," he conceded. "Mento taught me to survey a room for threats, Rita taught me to do it while stepping to music."

A thought gave him pause. "When did you learn to dance?"

Raven's façade never broke, but that twinkle from earlier grew. "Never did."

Instinctively, Changeling looked down to watch Raven's footwork. "What? Then how-"

Changeling looked back up at what he now recognized was an exceptionally smug empath.

"You're not touching the ground."

"Correct."

"You literally dropped me on this dance floor so you could float around and look graceful while I did my best not to trip or run us into every important person in Jump City… and you did this without knowing I could dance."

"Also correct," Raven's face betrayed nothing, "If a bit dramatic."

Never mind what the music was doing, Changeling slipped a heel behind Raven's ankles and leaned left, twisting Raven along with him.

He was rewarded by the widening of her eyes as the twist bent her backwards into a deep, classic dip, supported only by his hand on her back and the energy holding her heels off the ground.

She glared at him in indignation at the surprise, though he couldn't help but notice a hint of red tinting her cheeks… probably because there was only a few finger's breaths between them.

"Me? Dramatic?" Changeling grinned. "Noooo…."

The music ended before Raven could retort, and Changeling pulled up and out of the dip, sending Raven out for a spin and bow.

Well, he bowed. She rolled her eyes.

Nightwing took that opportunity to make an appearance.

"Hey Raven, nice dancing. Almost didn't notice you weren't touching the ground."

Raven's monotone held a hint of mischievousness, "I'm surprised you even noticed us on the dance floor, I didn't think your eyes have left Starfire all night."

Nightwing coughed but yielded nothing. "Oh, I notice more than you think. Everything go all right outside?"

With the comment, Nightwing's pointed glance directed their attentions to the balcony windows...

…a few panes of which were cracked in a pronounced spiderweb pattern.

Raven had her back to Nightwing, so she spared a quick glare for Changeling before facing their team leader again.

"I do remember warning you that the buildup of emotions and energy here could be a concern tonight," Raven countered, "and that was before I knew Garfield would be confronting a villain on the patio."

She paused, clearly attempting to measure description with discretion. "Their conversation prompted some intense emotions on both sides, I wasn't quite ready for it."

"Hmm," Nightwing's musing betrayed his skepticism, "it's funny, I don't remember seeing those cracks when Cheetah came back in…"

"-then you must be slipping," Raven interrupted his rather… pointed… observation. "It's a shame, I'd hate for a certain caped crusader to know both your martial arts and your powers of observation are fading. What did he say, anyway, after he saw the training footage you tried to hide?"

For the first time in their banter, Nightwing scowled, and Changeling knew Raven had won…

…That she'd done so explicitly to cover up their little adventure on the patio just made it all the more difficult not to laugh at Nightwing's discomfort.

"Anyway," Nightwing settled for not-so-subtly changing the topic as he drew a small white envelope from his breast pocket. "I'm sure the mayor would appreciate restricting any further incidents, so-"

Raven was all set to grab the envelope and make it disappear when a green blur cut her off and Changeling was left holding Nightwing's mystery project.

Instinctively Raven reached out for the envelope with her mind, intent on securing it before Changeling realized what it was he was holding, but all she accomplished was briefly turning the envelope black before the energy was absorbed.

The dawning recognition in Changeling's eyes- and the widening of his sharp-toothed grin- assured her that if he'd had any questions before, she'd just answered them.

"Well," Nightwing excused himself, "I'm going to go make sure Starfire's not dancing with anybody too troublesome, you two have a good time."

There was something a little too knowing about the way Nightwing slipped away that made Raven want to blush, but she held her composure by confronting Changeling instead.

If the mischievousness in her date's aura was any indication, this was already a losing battle.

"Garfield," Raven warned, holding out her hand. "Give me the envelope."

"Actually, Rae," Changeling grinned, slipping the mystery into his jacket, "I think I'm going to hold on to this one. For safekeeping."

"That's not how this works," Raven kept her voice low, glancing side to side to confirm their conversation hadn't attracted unwanted attention. "If that thing is anywhere near me, neither it nor I are safe. I need to send it to a pocket dimension."

For whatever reason, that seemed to give Garfield an idea. "Oh, come on Rae," Changeling teased. "You can make me morph, why can't I have a 'Raven off-button'? It's only fair-"

"-Garfield Mark Logan," Raven cut him off. "If you don't give me that envelope right this second-"

"-You mean this one?" Garfield drew the envelope from his breast pocket…

…and Raven dropped three inches to the floor.

So caught off guard was she that it was only Changeling's outstretched arm that kept Raven from losing her balance and falling to the floor.

"How…"

Changeling just beamed, putting the envelope back out of sight. A second later, Raven felt her energies return to her command.

Changeling held out his hand, and Raven finally realized that they were in fact standing in the center of the dance floor. Warily she reached out- both to her powers and to Changeling, and soon she was floating around the dance floor once again as Changeling led.

"Ever wonder what happens to my communicator when I shift, Rae?"

Raven blinked at the question, surprised by the realization that she hadn't. It's not part of him like his uniform, she realized, Cyborg made it, so what does happen to an inanimate object when its holder becomes an amoeba?

Changeling grinned. "Yeah, Mento couldn't really figure that one out, either. In fact, he didn't even know I could do it until he saw this picture I'd been carrying around, the one of my parents I've got on my desk. Somehow I'd have it when I was 'human,' it disappeared when I shifted, but it was right back in my pocket again when I shifted back."

Can he just… do that? Make things appear and disappear?

Changeling followed her thought process. "Yeah, we tried it with a bunch of stuff: weapons, communicators, even big stuff I tried to wrap my body around. Turns out, it's a mental image thing, like my suit. The only things that work are items of personal significance that I can fit in my pocket without changing my appearance. Things like communicators and pictures of my parents."

Raven shook her head, still adjusting to the idea… "But you said Mento couldn't explain it?"

"Yeah, it's not really his area. Negative man had a theory, though. He says it's almost a literal pocket dimension, but bio-chemical. Like, my body recognizes something that's not DNA and it's in the way of my shifting, so it breaks down whatever it is- like my excess mass- into its chemical elements and stores them somewhere until I need them again. Then it puts all the pieces back together."

Raven blinked, processing as the crowd swirled around them. "So, every time you shift, your body takes your communicator and breaks it down into bare molecules, then stores them… somewhere, maybe a pocket dimension. Then you shift back and it re-gathers those molecules and rebuilds the communicator as you shift 'human' again?"

"Yup. As best we understand it, yeah."

"And you can do that with any small, personal item?"

"Most of them, yeah. It's not something I think about, really. It actually works better if I don't. It's more like… if my subconscious says 'this belongs here and I don't want to lose it,' then my body makes it happen. Most of the time I don't even have to think about it, it just… works."

There was a pause as Raven processed.

"So how does that work with the…" Raven realized she didn't actually know what was in that envelope, but her glance made her point clear enough.

"So yeah, I know it didn't look like it, but I actually shifted after I put it in my pocket," Changeling explained, still keeping step to the music. "I went from a form with something in my pocket to the same form, but with the idea that my pocket was empty. My body did the rest. Now it's like the envelope doesn't exist… at least, not until I shift back and ask my body to rebuild it again."

"But it's not a 'personal item,'" Raven argued. "You don't even know what's in the envelope."

"True," Changeling nodded. "So if I shift instinctively right now, my subconscious will probably rebuild and drop it as a foreign object. That happened a lot back before I got used to carrying a communicator."

Raven frowned. "I don't like the idea that that envelope could make a surprise reappearance, Gar."

"Then I'll give it back after tonight," Changeling promised. "But something tells me I'll start subconsciously considering this as an 'intimate personal item' fairly quickly. And once I do, I'll have complete control over if and when it exists- and when it doesn't."

Raven had to admit, the implications were dramatic, and not altogether undesirable. "And it's only accessible when you're in human form? You shift, it goes away, and my powers come back?"

"And, like now," Changeling concluded, "this is my default appearance- with the envelope stored away in molecules somewhere. Once I'm used to having it, this will become my default. Then, the 'off-button' will only exist only when I specifically want it to."

The magnitude of the situation was huge… Changeling could now possess and be the sole guardian of her greatest weakness…

And somehow, that didn't bother her near as much as it should have.

I can't believe I'm saying this, Raven reflected, but if there's anyone who can be trusted with something that significant… it's Garfield.

Raven nodded. "Okay… that's actually a better plan than hiding it somewhere only I can access, actually. In case of emergencies."

Her gaze hardened, and suddenly Changeling felt like squirming. "But if you even think of abusing this, Garfield, if I catch so much as a hint of you using this for some juvenile prank…."

Changeling's back went ramrod straight at the unspoken threat. "No ma'am, no pranks, no surprises. Nobody will ever know."

His lips pinched as he glanced down on her with a twinkle in his eyes. "It will be our little secret, for special occasions only."

Raven peaked an eyebrow, but otherwise didn't respond, seemingly satisfied with the assurance…

…and not wanting to rise to the implications of his last comment.

She couldn't stop the butterflies in her stomach, though.

They danced in companionable silence for another song before Changeling stopped abruptly.

"This isn't working."

Raven floated back just enough to break their posture and tilted her head in concern.

"The dancing, I mean," Changeling clarified. "It's not working."

Confusion and relief conflicted inside as Raven studied her dance partner. "It seems to be working just fine to me. We're not tripping, you're more or less following the crowd and music-"

"But we're not dancing," Changeling frowned. "If we're going to dance, let's dance. Together."

Raven blinked. "You want me to stop floating."

"No, well, yes," Changeling hedged, "but it's more than that. Dancing is about moving with your partner, about feeling and anticipating and working together. I mean, sure, we're moving around the dance floor, but we're not really dancing."

"This coming from the guy who was taught to dance as a way to survey crowds for targets."

"I'm done," Changeling argued. "Crowd surveyed. There aren't any bad guys here. Now I want to dance with you."

"I can't dance," Raven contested.

Changeling just grinned. "Not yet."

"You're not going to let this go, are you?"

"Nope."

"I can't get embarrassed here, Garfield," Raven defended, "If my powers spike-"

And suddenly the energy supporting her was gone… again.

Raven managed to conceal her stumble this time, but did not bother trying to disguise her frustration.

"Garfield-"

"I know, abuse of privilege," Changeling cut her off, wincing. "I'll shift it away if you really want me to, but you don't need to worry about your powers right now, is my point. Not around me."

Raven blinked, realizing the truth to the concept… and how infuriatingly without excuse it left her.

Changeling realized it, too, if the smug look on his face was any indication.

He held out a hand, a surprisingly daunting invitation…

As much as it surprised her, Raven actually wanted to accept it.

Azar help me, Raven reflected as she lay her hand on his palm.

She half expected Changeling to throw her into a whirlwind of motion, some wild pattern of payback for dropping him on the dance floor earlier, but he surprised her.

"Look down at my feet," Changeling encouraged her. "I'm going to step slowly, keep a pattern going so you can get used to it. This is a two-step, two steps back for you, one step forward."

"Step-together. Step-together. Now back: step-together."

Raven felt childish: surrounded by people who all knew what they were doing, gliding around the dance floor, she was standing there with her head down like she was learning to walk all over again.

Still, Changeling persisted. "Step-together, step-together, back-together. Again…"

Raven caught on quickly: there wasn't much to learn-

"Now, I'm going to change the pattern occasionally, but I can't tell you every time before I do."

Raven balked. "Then how am I going to-"

"I'll cue you," Changeling assured her, "Feel my hand on your back, can you tell the difference between back and forward?"

Raven blinked. Sure enough, Changeling's hand was there, just below her left shoulder blade. Back-step, Back-step, Front- wait…

Sure enough, about a half-beat before she had to shift her weight to pick which way to go there was an increase in pressure before the forward steps. He's guiding me…

Changeling put a sudden weight on her shoulder blade in the middle of a back-step, shortening their stride on that side and turning them to avoid a stumbling couple clearly a few drinks in.

"You catch on quick," Changeling grinned. "Must be those ballet lessons from Robin a couple years back."

Raven stumbled, blanching. "How did you know about-"

"A little bird outside the window told me."

Raven discovered the benefit of just learning to dance: You can easily pass off stomping on your partner's foot as an accident..

Changeling hissed, but kept his step pattern.

"Tell anyone," Raven whispered, "and I make sure all your internet fans find out about your 'bronie' phase."

Changeling glanced back and forth to confirm nobody had been within earshot for that particular revelation. "How do you know about-"

"I'm an empath, I know when people are hiding something embarrassing," Raven countered. "You really should keep a passcode on your tablet. Or not leave it in the common room unguarded."

"Snooping through my stuff, Rae?" Changeling faked offense, "I thought you were better than that."

"I am," Raven grinned. "Starfire isn't, though."

"Oh gosh," Changeling winced, "Star knows, too?"

"Actually," Raven conceded, "she watched four seasons in a weekend. Forced me to watch two of them until I literally blew up the television."

Changeling grinned. "You made it two seasons? I think someone's a faaaa-ow!"

How does she do that without losing step? Oh right, Ballet lessons.

Changeling flexed his toes in his homegrown shoes and sent Raven into a dip as the song ended.

"Truce?" Changeling offered.

Raven grinned. "Truce."

"Good, I don't think my toes could take much more."

Raven rolled her eyes. "Guess I missed a cue."

Changeling laughed. "You don't miss much, Rae. You know, I pulled three different kinds of turns, a dip, and a two spins during that song, and I didn't teach you any of them in advance. You follow really well."

Raven hadn't noticed… Did he keep me talking just to distract me from worrying about dancing? I don't remember thinking about what I was doing at all, but I guess it worked. "Maybe I have a good partner."

Changeling stepped close, his breathe a whisper. "Not as good as mine."

Raven just rolled her eyes with a wry grin as the music shifted to something more exotic.

Time to get off this dance floor, Raven moved to head back towards the buffet- a drink sounded good right now, but Changeling wasn't budging.

It was only then that Raven noticed the shift in his aura… excitement?

"Rae, I know you're new to this whole dancing thing, but you think you can handle one more?"

The dance floor was thinning considerably as the unfamiliar rhythm sent people in search of friends or colleagues…

And leaving Raven feeling significantly more exposed…

She felt her familiar energy resurface as Changeling picked up on her concern. "Don't look at them, Rae, look at me. Float if you want to, but dance with me."

Raven's concern was heavy... with her powers and the attention, did she risk embarrassing herself?

She was about to shake her head when Changeling's assurance washed over her, his warm aura giving her confidence that things would be fine. She seeped in it, allowing it to bolster her resolve as she looked up at him and nodded warily.

Changeling grinned, and Raven felt his finger tab a subtle pulse on her back- the beat of the song.

The pace was fast, but manageable, so she allowed herself to hover an inch over the marble tiled floor- an insurance policy…

And then they were off.

Immediately, Raven felt the difference. She didn't need to, but she moved her legs in stride with Changeling's as she learned the count.

Okay, three long strides, Raven noted, bring the feet together on the fourth beat.

Her dress flowed around her now, the split skirt parting as the elongated strides flashed pale skin from midnight fabric.

Pressure on her back held Raven in place as Changeling swirled around her, an eight-count spin that gave Raven a panoramic view of the room.

She hadn't realized it, but the Titans (and Cyborg's date) were the only ones remaining on the dance floor.

No pressure, no pressure….

"You're doing great, Rae," Changeling's voice broke her out of her self-reassurance. "Do me a favor real quick- close your eyes."

Raven's eyes shot up. He's joking…

"You don't need to see to dance, Rae. I'll keep us from running into anything, just focus on me."

Raven steeled herself with a deep breath and slowly closed her eyes.

It was strange, really.

Devoid of sight, everything felt somehow more… detached. She felt her legs moving, but she wasn't focused on their movement. Rather, she more felt the whisper of air between her legs and Garfield's, the sensuous grace and tension of two bodies moving so closely without colliding.

She felt the gentle, assured strength of his arms. The shifts in pressure that called her forward, back, then the lift of his hand that cued a twirl, the way his arms found her again and pulled her close when the spin concluded.

Raven felt the solidness of the floor appear beneath her feet as she relaxed into the motion: she didn't need to fear tripping with Garfield's sight to guide her, his grip to catch her if she slipped.

As an empath, Raven had always felt an awareness of others, particularly people with strong, vibrant emotions like Changeling, but this was something different entirely.

Raven felt everything of Changeling- his heartbeat, his stride, his strength. She didn't just feel or guess, she knew what he was going to do next, and the motions flowed like water- an understanding born of perfect synchronicity. Between his cues and her sense, she felt... omniscient.

Few things came naturally to a mage taught young to hold herself in reserve, but when Raven let herself flow in the current of Changeling's movement, it just felt right.

As familiar as her mantra, as exciting as her latest novel, as empowering as the thrill of hard-fought victory.

She directed every ounce of her empathy into the young man in front of her: felt the swells of pride and joy and confidence. She felt his dedication, his diligence, his affection...

…and his lust.

It was a gentle thing, really, a candle of heat and light burning in his core amidst the more pressing concerns of movement and cues and music. It wasn't aggressive or demanding or even selfish, and Raven felt it so inextricable from his affection that she couldn't identify the barrier between the two.

But she could feel it, resting there. Directed towards her, and it sparked a fresh perspective on everything she was experiencing at that moment.

The grace and swirl of their bodies took on a new dimension, one layered with tension and passion and interplay, and Raven suddenly regretted having lowered her hood- it felt as though anyone might see the heat rising to her face and realize how intimate their movements were.

But more than anything, Raven felt Changeling at that moment, the reserved energy, the subtle guidance and care he took, the overwhelming passion towards her that he felt…

And she felt the invitation built into it all, and knew exactly how to respond.

Until now, Raven had been content to learn, to follow Changeling's lead and complete her part of the movements he cued.

Now she felt the empty space between those cues.

Changeling shifted his arm, calling for a simple three-count, 360-degree spin they'd done at least twice before.

This time, however, Raven decided to embellish it a bit…

…in the manner of a 720-degree pirouette.

So far, things had been going well: Raven was a delightfully fast learner and years of training had made her exceptionally graceful in her own right. There wasn't much to look out for on a near-empty dance floor, so he mostly focusing on keeping his cues clear and fluid….

And admiring the spectacle that was his girlfriend.

He'd been serious earlier when he said she deserved to be seen and admired, and he doubted she realized it yet, but she was certainly being seen right now.

She was hypnotic. The swirl and allure of her long-cut gown accented by the sparkle of her silver belt and jewelry, the fluid grace of her movement, the subtle shifts of her lithe muscles beneath his fingers as she responded to the slightest pressure and directed accordingly.

He breathed her in, and damn if he never wanted to let go of that scent.

It was amazing, really, how she trusted him like this. Raven was understandably reserved with people: her monks were more like guards than family, her own mother was "Arella," the very concept of a "loving dad" was an abstract theory, and by definition "losing control" was both dangerous and terrifying for her.

And yet she spun, hair drifting slightly as they whirled, the embodiment of beauty and grace and mystery and all things that made him weak… and with her eyes closed Changeling watched the tension of her focus fade into peace- and did he dare say happiness?- as she let herself move with the music and his cues.

He sent her out for a spin, careful to keep contact with his left hand over her head to maintain communication when Raven suddenly spun faster than normal, completing an extra rotation.

Her eyes slid open as she shot him a sideways look, a sly glimmer in her eyes told him she knew exactly what she was doing…

Her right leg slid out slowly from its midnight sheath, flashing pale, flawless skin as she brought her leg out straight to 45 degrees.

Maybe Changeling just hadn't noticed it before, but there was something in the music, a tease to the beat that spoke of temptation, of flirtation. Of sensuality…

Raven never broke eye contact as her ankle lifted, her leg bending slowly to bring her heel back up to her thigh, her balance perfect on just her left leg.

Holy Crap, Changeling realized. Ballet + years of teamwork training and exercises + basic ballroom + magic and whatever-that-was-with-the-beast-in-the-forest…

And then Raven turned, a perfect, slow pirouette that could only be the work of dark energy under her cloak spinning her perfectly smoothly, slowly, never losing their connection by hand or eye-

Equals a dangerously beautiful and sexy dance partner.

Suddenly Raven threw herself backward, throwing her right foot forward and up as a counter-balance as her back arched.

Changeling moved on instinct, leaning over his dance partner to throw his right arm around her and support her mid-back with his right hand.

The two froze there in a deep dip as the music strummed around them. Changeling caught the flash of a camera in his peripheral vision.

Raven, however, seemed unphased. Despite his posture over her, Changeling knew exactly what Raven was doing…

She was initiating.

This is going to be fun…

It only took a split-second of understanding- a shared sly grin and a twinkle in their eyes- and the duo began dancing anew.

Changeling drew up quickly, putting a little extra into his hand on Raven's back, giving her enough lift and spin that she spun 360 degrees before landing.

Raven barely touched down before she had her hand on his shoulder and they were spinning across the floor.

There was nothing but them and the music at that moment: the crowd, the other dancers, it all blurred in the background as focused exclusively on Raven and whatever step came next.

Changeling drew Raven towards his right hip, bringing them side-to-side and facing the same way with his arms around her and hers crossed in front: a position he vaguely remembered being taught to him as "right tuck."

Changeling barely whispered "jump" before he let go with his left hand and swept down and forward with his right- the arm behind Raven.

Raven's jump was timed perfectly: his arm captured her cloak, dress, and the back of her knees and spun them into an assisted backflip.

Raven landed right where she began with one noticeable difference: the centrifugal motion had put her hood back up.

Raven glared at him for the surprise, but Changeling didn't have time to do anything more than grin back as black energy caught his right ankle and slid it back quickly.

The only way to catch himself was to drop down on his right knee, his left leg out in front of him.

When the energy kept him from standing up, Changeling realized it wasn't accidental.

The hooded mage stalked her captive specimen with long, exaggerated strides in time with the music, stepping over his back leg and letting the fabric of her dress whisper over his exposed ankle. Her hand trailed up his arm, across his shoulders, and finally around to cup his jaw as she rounded his left side.

Raven looked down at him from the frame of her hood lifted her right foot, silver heel at his hip-level as Changeling recognized what she was suggesting.

He brought his hands together under the ball of her foot and Raven used them as a step as he stood, launching her up just above head-level as she pulled her arms in and spun in the air.

Once, twice, three rotations…

She let her energy give her just enough boost for a fourth spin before she threw her arms out wide, the cloak and dress flaring dramatically as Changeling caught her under the arms and brought her back to the ground gently.

Raven heard scattered exclamations and applause, but she and Changeling were too busy sweeping back into motion to pay their audience any mind.

Sent out for a spin, Raven sank low on one leg with the other out straight as she spun, flashing silver heel before Changeling's grip helped her pop up.

Raven pushed off with her right and brought the ball of her left foot up to Changeling's thigh and put her weight on it, leaning out from him but held in tension by their arms.

She felt Changeling shift his weight inward, so Raven allowed her foot to slip in. She brought her feet together and held both Changeling's hands as she fell. Pointing her feet between his heels, Raven slid under between his legs, coming to a stop when their arms ran out of slack.

For a moment she was still, resting on her ankles and held at a shallow angle by their wrist grip.

Then Changeling stood, pulling her back forward through his legs and up in front of him, adding the extra power to toss her into the air as she rose.

His hands found her hips as she leaned forward, finding that balance point where her arched back balanced her legs on the pivot point of his hands. Her dress draped between her legs to preserve her modesty as Changeling held her above his head.

For a golden, frozen moment, Raven couldn't help but notice the crowd watching as she held her arms out like wings, frozen in the air…

They weren't judging, the men's eyes weren't lewd…

They were in awe.

At her. At them…

And then it was back into motion as Changeling returned her to the ground in a furious spin-drop as they swept back into motion.

The crescendo built, the climax of the music racing towards them as Raven spun, slid, and glided across the floor. Changeling moved on instinct, and Raven responded in kind. It wasn't rehearsed or perfect, but when one led the other followed, when one improvised or missed a step the other moved with them. They were dancing flames of a campfire, twirling in the wind of the music…

Changeling could feel the frenzy of the music building, they had only a few moments left…

He caught Raven in a spin, her right hand in his left as his right arm wrapped around her back, pulling her close. He spread his stance and dropped, leaning out to his right and projecting the bend of his right knee. Raven leaned with him, and with no other way to stabilize herself she threw her left leg over his knee, the flaring slits of her dress displaying the full length of each leg as she was draped over him, pressed against his chest as the music reached it's excited, final flourish.

The room broke into applause as the two panting superheroes locked eyes. The high of the moment faded, leaving them both with a maelstrom of emotions and sudden self-awareness. A thousand words were spoken in that silence, and then Changeling whispered.

"Want to get out of here?"

Her only answer was the creeping chill of dark energy, and then they were gone.

Raven and Changeling emerged in the kitchen of a nondescript two-bedroom house in a quiet suburban neighborhood not too far away. The kitchen light was on, a bottle of wine sat on the counter beside two wide glasses and a note with Raven's name on it.

Changeling blinked as the chill receded, but the heat in his stomach remained and before he knew it his lips were crashing into Raven's.

Raven returned the kiss deeply, the emotional, lustful flurry of the dance floor fueling their clumsy, decidedly un-chaste explorations of each other's lips and tongues…

Raven could feel a bulge press against the inner thigh of her trailing leg, draped over him as she was…

Then the light bulb shining shattered above them, plunging the room into darkness.

And instantly killing the mood.

Changeling's head slumped back as he sighed. "Damn it."

Raven huffed half in amusement at his reaction, half in frustration as she slipped her leg off of his and stepped back. "There should be a switch somewhere to your right."

Changeling fumbled in the dark, but found what he was looking for. They both squinted as another light came on and they took in their surroundings.

It didn't take Changeling long to put two and two together.

"Safe house?"

Raven just nodded, reaching for the wine. She could use a drink… dancing like that was thirsty business... and besides that, she needed a drink.

Changeling wasn't surprised by the safe house… several of the titans kept emergency hiding spots maintained. He himself kept two in Jump and a few elsewhere- some Doom Patrol affiliated, some not, though he also knew how to disappear in animal form and make or find shelter in a pinch no human could utilize. Most Titans just assumed the others had them, but nobody asked or admitted to it. Officially, if something went wrong everyone was meant to use the old Titan bases or emergency shelters to regroup. But if that wasn't safe, it was nice to have insurance.

Changeling spotted the note.

"Not your safehouse, though… what, you didn't trust me enough?"

Raven sighed, popping the cork out with energy and pouring two glasses.

"I don't have one nearby, and teleporting long distances with accuracy is difficult."

Changeling nodded, understanding as he took a glass. "Starfire's, then?"

Raven bit her lip slightly as she winced at her answer. "Jinx's."

Changeling almost coughed on his first sip of wine. "You called Jinx and asked for a safe house?"

Raven rested back against the counter, sheepish, but not betraying it. "I needed somewhere… discrete. And she has several left over from her criminal career." She waved vaguely at the half-full bottle. "I didn't anticipate she'd send Wally over to prep for us."

"She knows it's for us?" He couldn't help but grin over the glass as he imagined how that conversation went…

Raven sighed. "She suspects."

He nodded towards the note. "She left you a message."

Raven picked up the paper, scanning the text beneath her name.

Raven,

About time! Seriously, you've waited long enough, get his green ass in bed and keep it there as long as you want. Supplies are in the top drawer. This place is compromised now, so I won't bother using it, consider it yours for any future clandestine needs. *wink, wink*

-Jinx

Raven groaned and took a larger swallow of her wine. And she sent Wally to prep the house last-minute. If there's a Titan who hasn't heard in a week, I'll be shocked.

Meanwhile, Changeling's eye caught the text written on the back of the note. He'd already read Jinx's message when the note was on the counter- he'd mis-guessed the houses owner intentionally- so he knew what Raven was reading. What Raven didn't see was Wally's addition on the back side of the page, exposed when she lifted the paper to read it.

Changeling,

You lucky dog! I expect details, and soon!

Also, I stocked some toys for you. Bottom drawer. I don't expect them back. Go to town, the walls are soundproof (we checked). ;D

-Impulse

Changeling paled- as much as he did with green skin, at least- and finished his wine in one draft, praying Raven didn't turn the sheet over.

She didn't. Setting it on the counter, she contemplated the deep red liquid in her glass.

"Raven, we don't have to-"

She cut him off with a raised hand. She looked up to meet his eye, steel in her gaze as she drained her glass.

"I'm going to freshen up in that restroom, there," she pointed to a door in the hall to his left. "When I get out, I expect you to be in the master bedroom, waiting for me."

There was only the slightest tremor to her monotone as her nerves threatened her composure.

Changeling grinned slightly in understanding.

"Yes ma'am. Though, I think you'll want this first," he reached into his inside pocket and pulled out the white envelope.

Instantly, the threatening tremor of power beneath her skin faded, and a deep breath of release escaped Raven. She nodded, holding her hand out for the package.

Instead, Changeling slid a sharp fingernail beneath the fold, popping the envelope open. He slid the contents out into his palm with a slight jingle.

The dark metal chain-links formed two short, slender lengths. Each was adorned with a simple jewelry clasp at one end, and in the center of the lengths was what appeared to be an iron charm, likely containing the mystical Helldust. On one chain, an iron bird in flight. On the other, an iron wolf, mid-howl.

Raven blushed as they studied the… bracelets?... in his hand.

"I don't know much about jewelry," Changeling hedged, "but I don't think these are just bracelets…"

Raven glanced up at him quizzically.

"Here," he invited, reaching for her wrist. "He wrapped the short chain around one wrist and linked it secure with the clasp, noting how it could secure to any one of the links for custom fit. In fact, he left a few links dangling at the end, so the raven pendant rested flush against her skin.

He repeated the process on her other wrist, leaving a little chain at the end free…

And then he brought her wrists together and pressed the loose ends of the chain together, twisting them so they interlocked. Raven heard a muted click, and when Garfield's hands fell away, her wrists were tethered together by a short chain.

She tried twisting her wrists, shifting to access the concealed clasp to release herself, but the chain was too short. She was completely unable to remove the deceptively delicate-looking pieces.

A decorative pair of handcuffs, hidden as jewelry, capable of canceling her powers. In Changeling's possession.

She flushed at the implications, recognizing the power that technically gave him over her…

"Kinky," Changeling verbalized everything she wouldn't admit was flowing through her mind at that moment as she flushed.

And then Changeling's hands were at the links again, and the connection fell apart. Immediately she went to shift the bracelets, rub where the slender links had pressed lightly into her skin.

"I'm just going to go… over there," Changeling nodded off to his left, suddenly sheepish. "You, uh, you take all the time you need."

Raven just nodded, still looking down at her new accessories as Changeling left. Once he was gone, she reached for the wine bottle and poured herself another glass.

Azar, help me…

Changeling entered the bedroom but didn't turn on the light, letting his eyes adapt to the little moonlight filtering through the window instead. Pretty quickly he made out large, elegantly pillow-topped four-poster bed and oak armoire, as well as the two nightstands and a door leading to a master bathroom.

He could smell the sheets were fresh, and the air wasn't dusty enough to have been empty for long… Wally must have cleaned up in anticipation of their arrival.

He was tempted to go straight to the armoire and investigate whatever it was Impulse and Jinx had thought to leave for them, but he restrained himself.

First order of business was to utilize the restroom.

Once he emerged he set out to business.

First the top drawer. He blanched at the contents, despite their fairly predictable nature. Candles, a few sticks of incense, lotion, a radio, massage oil, lubrication, and condoms. Lots of condoms.

Seriously, what do those two do with their spare time, thinking we'd need… all this? I'm technically part rabbit, and even I think this looks excessive.

He saddened a bit when he remembered the revelation from his conversation with Cheetah and put the condoms out of his mind. Guess I won't be needing the one in my wallet, either.

The candles, though, those intrigued him. They may be cliché, but candles might help Raven feel more comfortable, considering her own room was full of them.

He found three with aromas he recognized from her room and lit them, setting them on the armoire in what he hoped was an artistic manner. He added a stick of incense, too, a more earthy, spice-like aroma accenting the blend.

He paused, considering his next step.

Massage oil? I don't know if Raven… she's not really the touchy type, would she even want a massage? But what else can I do?

He pulled out the radio, noting the ancient-looking tape deck was loaded. He pressed play out of curiosity more than anything, and immediately the smooth jazz of a saxophone filled the room much louder than he'd expected.

His finger slammed down on the stop button immediately, his heart pounding.

Shit, shit, shit…

And then her voice came from behind him in the doorway.

"Don't turn it off on my account."

Changeling froze when she spoke, and Raven couldn't help her pinched grin at catching him off-guard.

He turned to look at her over his shoulder, and then the music returned, volume lowering to a more "background" level.

He stammered, standing in front of the open top drawer like a kid with his hand in the cookie jar.

"I was, uh, I was just-"

"I know," she assured him, no criticism in her response as she stepped through the doorway and let the door close behind her.

She paused, sniffing the subtle but growing scent in the air.

"Is that-"

"I found them in the drawer," Changeling rubbed the back of his neck. "I recognized the smell from your room. Are they okay?"

Raven closed her eyes to study the complex aroma. Vanilla, lavender, accented by Sage… he's not far off.

Pretty good, actually, considering he was working with whatever happened to be on-hand.

She opened her eyes and stepped forward, nodding up at him gratefully as the bundle of nerves in her lower back released just a little at the familiarity. "It's perfect."

She could feel his relief, the uncertainty and anxiety swirling under his skin relax just a bit as his gaze returned to the drawer.

"Okay. I wasn't sure what else to do, I don't-"

She cut him off by pushing the drawer closed.

"I think we have what we need."

She could hear Changeling gulp.

"I think we have what we need."

Changeling could feel the sweat break out on his scalp as he gulped.

"Ah, uh, are you sure?" he could have kicked himself, but he still couldn't turn to look at her, instead resting his gaze on the dancing flame of the candles.

Her hand found his jaw, and he couldn't resist her guiding his face to turn, to look at her. For the first time he realized she was draped in her cloak such that he couldn't see the dress beneath, only her arm emerging from the dark fabric below her neck.

She brought his eyes to hers, but didn't release her hand.

"What's the matter, Gar?" she seemed caught somewhere between frustration and concern. "Do you not want-"

"No!" his eyes flew open as he realized what she was asking. "No, I mean, yes, I mean…. That's exactly what I want. I just… are you sure you're okay? I don't want to rush you…"

Narrowed eyes assured him she didn't buy his excuse.

He sighed, slumping, eyes shifting over to the side in confession.

"I, uh… I made some big promises, Rae. What if I can't…"

Her eyes flashed black as her grip tightened on his jaw, forcing his eyes back to hers.

"Garfield. Mark. Logan," he admonished, voice both as iron and as soft as he'd ever heard it. "You are both the most amazing and the most infuriating young man I've ever met. You have me standing here in nothing but a cloak, and you're getting performance anxiety?"

His brain was fried. "N… nuh… nothing?"

But she wasn't done. "I don't expect nirvana, Garfield. I know full well what I'm getting into, and I can't promise anything better than everything I have tonight. either. But I went to the afterlife to bring you back, do not think I won't send you back there if you hold out on me after all this. All the work, all the teasing, the anticipation..."

He was frozen as her free hand released the clasp on her cloak, letting it fall around her as she stood before him in all her naked, furious glory. He stood a head taller than her, he was fully dressed, and she was technically powerless with the pendants around her wrists...

And still, when she advanced, he backed up against the armoire. He was trapped, her hand on his jaw, steel in her eyes.

"You made me a promise, Garfield. I've never known you to be the kind of man who breaks his word, or backs down from a challenge. Is that the man you are?"

Deep in Nevermore, even Courage stood in shock as Anger and Affection held court…

Or rather, their aspects Rage and Lust held court. The line was pretty thin right now.

They spoke in unison, their influence piloting Raven in the exterior…

"You don't get to just treat a girl the way you have tonight and think-"

"Give me the bracelets."

His voice was deep but clear as his back straightened above her. His eyes dilated, and Raven could feel his aura shift. There was still fear, but determination and desire swelled at her challenge and she knew her gambit had worked.

Raven's anger abated as satisfaction rose, a slight smirk in her challenging glare as she undid the clasps and passed them into his hands.

"And then?"

"Take us to the forest," he insisted, tucking the chains into the jacket of his tuxedo. A moment later, Raven felt her energies return.

His voice retrieved its youthful grin, his aura of newfound confidence, lust, and an ounce of mischievous, anxious anticipation shining through the twinkle in his eyes.

"I have a promise to keep."

And keep it, he did.

It wasn't rough and wild (not at first, at least).

Neither was it slow jazz and rose petals (at least, not for long).

Just as in dancing, they took their first steps slowly, learning the movements and passions of each other as they explored the things they both kept hidden for years.

It wasn't Beast and Demon: they knew better than to let their selfish impulses run wild, and neither would have enjoyed it half as much anyway. Changeling was both strong and gentle, Raven was both demanding and generous.

And though lust was surely present, it was only a ripple in the tides that flowed in and through them both.

They'd return to the safe house hours later to sleep in each other's arms, then to rise again and renew their activities in the morning. Changeling even built up the courage to use the locking feature of the bracelets and explore the other opportunities stashed away in the mysterious third drawer… a few items of which would eventually return to the tower with them after Raven turned the tables and used them on him, forbidding him to shift.

But for now, they left the candles and incense behind and reveled in their return to nature. Their nature, complete and fresh and raw, no oils or mood music required, in the field of fallen trees that was uniquely theirs.

And, as promised, the forest echoed with the passions of their coupling as Garfield fulfilled his promises, and then some, as Raven howled.

A/N: And there it is, my pretties. Raven's Howl is complete. Sure, there are additional bonus scenes I'd consider throwing in, but I don't think I will. This is and was always the core story, and I don't want to detract from it by adding distractions and rabbit trails. There will be no sequel, no spin-offs. If you want one, I encourage you to write it: this story came about because I was suffering withdrawals when "Love in Shades of Green and Grey" ended.

If you're looking for a place to start: the shopkeeper who loaned Raven the green diamond earrings? That was meant to be Wintergreen, Slade's version of Batman's Alfred. I considered writing a chapter for "The Slade Contract" eventually where Deathstroke uses some of Ravens magic siphoned away in the earrings for a nefarious purpose, but that'd be a whole other story, and ultimately not relevant for this one. You're welcome to it, if that idea inspires you.

As always, I live on reviews, so please let me know what you thought of the story in general and this chapter in particular. Thank you all for the pleasure of sharing this crazy, wonderful process of exploring what might have happened after the show we know and love ended.

Sincerely,

-TwistedPremise