Saint H's Authors Notes:

Set a few years after 'Things Change', this is the story of Joey (Jericho) and his relationship with the mysterious Raven. Just FYI, in addition to being older all the Titans live in the one original Tower in this fic. Enjoy, or else.

Chapter One: Mute Questions

A stirring.

A shuffling of sheets.

An amber skinned face with a fiery silk-like mane rolled on a lavender pillow.

A soft sigh, "K'uttchu negal…"

A peaceful girl sleeping in her pink and purple room, curtains spread open and white/gray light shining dully bright thru to her room.

Her shining green eyes fluttered open.

She sat up and looked out her window at the snow falling on the winter-struck city.

"I do love Christmas." Kory mused with a sleepy smile.

A handsome blonde headed young man walked down a long corridor in the tower. A slightly shaggy yet very well kept haircut bounced up and down as the young man stepped with the beat of the song blaring from his headphones.

He mutely mouthed along with the deep and intense voice that sang with a bass-laden rock background that woke the usually docile blonde Titan up quite nicely on this calm December morning.

"HATE THE PARASITE I LOVED! (Now I burn this False Paradise!)
'SEARING ANGER COME UNPLUGGED! (Along with my Parasite!)'

The mute teen smiled and ran a hand thru is blonde crown, down his golden-sideburn cheek to his cleanly shaven chin. He lowered his hand down to a faded scar on his throat and rubbed it lightly, making the small soreness in his throat ease.

The peculiar voyage by the Titan clad in a white wife beater and gray sweatpants (a chance for fan girl's who planted spy camera's to drool over his bare arms and shoulders) ended as he came to a door that opened with a soft whir.

Jericho entered the Main Room of Titans Tower.

He continued to mutely scream the chorus,

"Her heart we broke, Our souls still stained, Her spirit we've quoke, No longer our tears of pain!"

"Yo, Joey, howzit hangin'!" Cyborg's voice penetrated the blaring music of TurnCoat.

The young man turn off his CD player and set it down, he then hand-signed, 'A little to the left, what is up Vic?'

"I stayed up all night watching Clerks, I swear Kevin Smith is a theatrical genius!"

Joey chuckled mutely, giving a thumbs up of agreement.

"Like anyone who created someones as filthy as Jay and Silent Bob could ever be considered a genius… or theatrical for that matter." Raven muttered sarcastically from the couch, reading a book and sipping her tea.

Joey glanced over at the blue girl and smiled warmly at the back of her head from the kitchen.

"Y'know Rae, I do not believe we asked you!" Cyborg said with mock bitchy-ness.

Raven just sat there.

Joey just grinned at the back of her head all the more warmly.

Cyborg sat there, conveniently oblivious.

Raven's voice filled the quiet room, "…Good morning to you too, Jericho."

The tow-head waved mutely, a drunken grin plastered on his face.

Cyborg raised an eyebrow, "Riiight, so Joey, barring the unforeseen plot device that would probably consist of either bank robbers, gang bangers, extra-dimensional demons, crazy-ass psychotic Super Villains, crazy-ass psychotic Fan Girls, a deadly government conspiracy, the Rapture, or a one-eyed pedophile, whaddya doing today?"

Joey whispered sweet mute nothings across the room to the back of Raven's blue head.

Cyborg sighed, defeated, "I can't contend with hormones, I think I'll go find Beast Boy, see what he's up to." And with that, Cyborg up and left, "You two have a good time."

The door opened,

Whir

The door closed,

Whir

…

Silence.

…

Jericho watched Raven.

…

Raven sat still.

…

Jericho thought he saw Raven's head move slightly to the left, but then decided it had just been his imagination.

…

Raven turned a page quietly.

Jericho emphatically cheered her on with his mute screams, 'Fucking A-Right! You show that page who's boss you Sexy Blue Lady! That page was all, 'I ain't moving bitch!' But then you was all like, "Yes you are, byzatch!" And the page was all, 'Nu Uh bizzle!' And you was all like, 'Uh HUH, bionka!' And the page was all like, 'DAYAMN GIRL, NO YOU DI'NT!' And then you, like, turned the page! DAMN you rock!…'

Unbeknownst to our mute friend, Raven watched his reflection on the window's of the Tower, and read his lips well.

A small smirk crossed Raven's face.

H

Cyborg ambled down the hallways. Eventually he walked into the top level, the one below the roof. It was a highly vacant room with lots of free space. It was humongous with no walls and, during the day, was lighted by the windows that encircled the level completely. There were several things up here, the most prominent of which was the leviathan of a swimming pool the Titans often made good use of.

The second most prominent thing was the amazing sound system, which Beast Boy was currently using to play his Sublime CD while reading a book entitled '101 Ways to Get People to Stop Writing Crappy FanFiction About You!'

"Yo dawg, I didn't know you could read!" Cyborg shouted over the music.

Beast Boy looked up and paused the music, "Ha ha ha! Your so funny!" the changeling mocked, "So, whats up bro?"

"Well, Joey and Raven are having one of their sexually intense awkward silence moments." the bionic being explained.

"Oh, I see. But damn I love those, you know I have 'Raven and Jericho: Sexually Awkward' season's 1 thru 3 on DVD, right?" the green one joked.

Cyborg chuckled, "Hah, dawg, you doing anything today besides running your mouth?"

"Naw, why, you got something planed?"

"I was figuring, if this day doesn't call upon us to do our super heroic duties, maybe we could go down to Jim's and browse around." the older Titan offered his younger friend.

"Sure thing bro."

"Awesome, lets head out."

And the two friends began to walk for the elevator that would take them to the garage.

…

…

"Y'know, once we're there, maybe we'll find some self-help book for Raven and Joey along the lines of 'How to Admit You Want to Copulate All Night, Every Night: For Dummies!'

"HAHAHA! Dawg, shut yo damn mouth! Hah, jeez."

H

Robin, Killowat, and Kid Flash were all standing silently just outside the Main Room, watching the two Titans with great amusement.

"What's he saying? Robin, what's Joey saying man?" Killowat whisperingly asked.

"I'm sure its something along the lines of, 'What light on yonder window breaks, tis thy perfectly round bum, and the sun doth blush at the sight of it!' or something else poetic like that." Kid Flash added.

"Be quiet guys!" Robin hissed under his breath, "I'm trying to read what Jericho's saying."

Joey glanced across the couch at Raven, he waved his hand to get her attention.

She looked up from her book, "What it is, Jericho?"

The mute Titans inwardly winced from her cold use of his alias. But, not losing a beat, he hand-signed, 'Morning, Raven. How are you?'

"Annoyed that I'm being interrupted from my book, you?" she answered, voice as chilly as the winter dawn outside.

This time he visibly winced, but pressed on, 'I am fine. You know Raven, since it's such a snowy and icy day, the villains aren't likely to do anything today.'

"Is there a point to this interlude to my reading or am I meaninglessly being withheld from finding out if Terminus is destroyed by the Empire?" the Ice Queen enunciated.

Back over, the boys were still listening with great interest.

"Ouch! That has to hurt!" Kid Flash snickered.

"Like you could do any better." Killowat murmured.

"Sure I could, if I wanted to." the speedster boasted.

"Heh, right, Kid Flash/Raven, like that would ever happen."

"Shhh!" Robin silenced the other two as he continued to watch the conversation.

The blonde boy began to sweat, but was not deterred from his route. He and Raven had almost always shared a friendly relationship. Which with Raven is out of the regular. But whenever he attempt to pull something of this sort he was immediately and coldly shut down by Raven, but this time he wasn't going to be stopped from asking the question. He firmly but quickly hand-signed.

'Would you like to go out on the town later today Raven?'

The mystic girl gave him a deadpan look.

Robin and the boys looked on with baited breath.

Joey held his breath.

"Oooh, this is so excitingly enthralling, is it not Robin?" Starfire whispered to the boy wonder right beside her.

Robin, Kid Flash, and Killowat nearly jumped out of their skin. Robin whispered back, "Star! When did you get here?"

"Just now, and I can see the situation before us may hold romantic possibilities for our two friends! Now please be silent so I may observe without interruption."

Robin gave her a look, "But you were the one who snuck up on us-"

"Shhh!" she silenced the Titans leader. Robin obeyed.

Raven gave him a questioning look.

Joey gave a carefree grin, hoping for the best and pleased he had finally asked the question.

Time passed and the tension was such that you could cut thru it with a limp, wet noodle.

A small smile formed on the edge of Raven's mouth, "OK, Joey, that sounds… fun."

Joey would have jumped for joy, making himself look the fool in front of Raven, I say would have because the observers beat him to it.

"Oh shit that didn't just happen!" Killowat laughed.

"Wow, the Ice Queen just let down her walls. I knew you were a ladies man Joey but, damn. That's just impressive!" Kid Flash hollered.

"Happiness Omega! May this occasion blossom into a fruitful relationship between you two!" Starfire jubilated.

Robin stood up slowly, the only one not to overreact, and gave a sheepish smile and a thumbs up.

Jericho looked on, horrified.

Raven's eyes narrowed, she lifted up her hood and stormed cold out of the room.

The observers had been silenced.

A few quiet seconds passed.

…

…

…

…

"Heh, oops, sorry J." Kid Flash meeped apologetically.

Causing quite a large amount of noise, especially for a mute, Joey got up and stormed up to the unwanted audience. He was so angry he momentarily forgot he couldn't speak. So after attempting to scream he made due with a mean look and a rude gesture, and then he stormed out of the room as well.

The four stood in silence.

…

…

"So, what's for breakfast?" Kid Flash asked.

The other three shot him incredulous looks.

"What?"

Starfire smacked him.