I don't own the Teen Titans. Thanks Obama.

/bbxrae\\\: time lapses within the dreams

*******BBxRae*******: transition between dreams/real world

"Talking"- in and out of dreams.

thoughts- In the dreams 'catchers' communicate via thoughts.

"The 'catcher's' thoughts"- Beast Boy or Raven's private thoughts when in the memories/dreams.

'other guests'-Raven's Emotions and The Beast

Once again I'll save my ANness for the end. On with the story!

*******BBxRae*******

"Raven, deary. It's almost time for your lessons." A voice said through the door. The young violet haired girl looked up from her book, oblivious of her ethereal spectators.

"Ok, I'll be there in a moment," the child said cheerfully. No one noticed a pen on the child's desk encased in a dark aura as it trembled. She reached for a bookmark and inserted it into a book titled Pillage.

Rae-Rae sure likes books about dragons doesn't she? Beast Boy mused out loud.

'She used to!' Happy exclaimed well, happily.

What do you mean 'used to?'

'What she means is we loved dragon books until one of them tricked us into loving him, and then used us to free himself!' Rage growled. Timid burst into tears, Love's shoulders slumped and she had a hurt expression on her face. Knowledge, Rude, and Brave all adopted a look of indifference, as they had heard this rant many times before. Happy had run off and was doing cartwheels down the hall and Wisdom was glaring at Rage for bringing up such a sensitive topic.

Oh, right. Malch-

'Don't say his name!' Wisdom warned. 'No one wants to hear that worm's name.' Love was trying to comfort Timid when Happy burst back into the room.

'Hey guys? Mini-us is halfway down the hall and I think maybe we should follow before we get dragged along.'

The emoticlones and Beast Boy followed Raven as she skipped down the hallway, humming a tune to herself. Occasionally Beast Boy noticed that random ornaments on the walls were encased in an oh so familiar black energy, though surprisingly they were not exploding like he was used to but instead merely shaking lightly. Suddenly one of them dropped, a decorative torch, and the little girl turned to see what had happened and simultaneously everything ceased shaking.

"Who's there?" Her small voice rang out, echoing down the hall. There was no answer. Wearily she turned and continued her journey. The walls behind her returned to life making more clattering noises than before. Raven whirled once more and again the ornaments ceased their dark dance.

"Who are you and what do you want?" She called out. She looked very scared, the worry shaking her voice. "Hello?" No answer. Once again she was about to resume down the hall, though she must have been really scared for suddenly everything in the hall was encased in the dark aura and began flying. Tapestries tore themselves apart and torches whirled in the air. Chandeliers disassembled and chests flew open while their contents followed suit and took to the air. This did nothing to ease the poor child as she was now curled up in a ball crying. Things began to melt and dissolve, splattering against the walls.

"Azar, what is going on?" A voice down the hall shrieked. "Raven? Raven is that you?" The voice asked at the end of the hall. Beast Boy turned and barely saw a group of three monks just out of reach of Raven's powers. Since the torches were flying randomly the lighting in the room was sporadic, making it hard for him to see. Beast Boy assumed that the torches kept burning through a special magic, otherwise they would have gone out already.

"Someone go get Azar," one of the monks shouted in fear, and the other two were quick to comply. Both rushed off as swiftly as they could in those ridiculous habits they wore. The first monk realized their folly and quickly followed the other two as they fled the scene. Minutes went by and Beast Boy was stuck watching a mini Raven have a nervous breakdown, half-demon style. A second set of eyes appeared on her forehead but instead of all four being red as he had so often seen (more than everyone else in the tower combined, if he was being honest) they were black. She was curled up in a ball but thankfully appeared unharmed. Suddenly a familiar voice rang out at the other end of the hall, though there was an otherworldly tone that made it unrecognizable.

"Sleep." And then the world went black.

/bbxrae\\\

Beast Boy felt warm and fuzzy, but he could hardly think and his mind was blank (he had formed about half a joke that started something like 'Raven would say...' but was too lazy and empty-minded to finish it). He recognized this as being half asleep. He knew he was able to wake up but felt no desire to, so he resigned himself to slumber. The dark lull of Beast Boy's sleep was disrupted by feminine voices that all sounded very similar, though each was slightly different.

'We should wake him up so that the dreams will continue.' This one sounded calm and collected.

'Anyone else think it's kind of ironic that he fell asleep while he was dreaming?' A burp followed, but the comment seemed to be ignored.

'I don't mind, it's not like he's going anywhere. We can wait.' Another replied softly, sounding much closer than the other voices.

'You're only saying that cause he fell on top of you and is now cuddling you in his sleep.' One growled. Beast Boy noticed that a hand was softly running through his hair, practically massaging his scalp.

'You're just jealous, Red. We all know that any of us would gladly trade places with Love in a heartbeat.' He heard a huff and could just imagine Red (who he assumed was Rage) crossing her arms and rolling her eyes.

'You guys do realize that he's awake now, right?' Beast Boy growled internally at whoever spoke and then opted to play it off like he was just waking up. He half opened his eyes and yawned, and only then did he realize just how close he was to Love. Arms wrapped around her waist and face pressed against her stomach. Yelping in a totally super manly sort of way, he jumped away embarrassed that he had done that.

'What's wrong BB, didn't realize you were using Lovey-Dovey over there as a pillow?' Happy teased. Love blushed right along with the green teen, earning them both several giggles (and a glare).

'BB you dog,' Brave smirked, nudging him with her elbow. 'When are you going to cuddle up with the rest of us? She's not the only one of us interested in you, you know.' By now Beast Boy's blush was changing his skin to a strange shade of purple and he was stuttering up a storm.

But I- well, she wasn't… it's not like I-er uh I didn't mean to, uh, well, woof. At the last second Beast Boy changed into a small dog and barked. Happy, Brave, Rude, and Love burst into laughter, while Wisdom and Knowledge opted to chuckles. Even Timid giggled at the green boy's antics, though Rage just rolled her eyes and huffed indifferently, but if one looked closely they would notice a slight curve upward at the corner of her lips and an even lighter blush.

Well, now that everyone's got that out of their system, on with the dreams! He shouted dramatically. However, nothing happened. Well, that's disappointing.

'The spell does not follow your bidding, Beast Boy. They will begin when they begin,' Wisdom answered. Beast Boy frowned.

'I'm curious as to why you fell asleep when the spell was directed at Raven,' Knowledge stated, though Beast Boy noted that there was a question in that statement.

It has to do with my animalistic nature. You see, most animals are extremely susceptible to magical effects. Sometimes they can even be affected by spells that aren't meant for them. Do you remember how vulnerable I was when we fought Mad Mod's and his hypno-screens? Everyone nodded, and a few giggled at the memory. That was all because my brain is so different from everyone else's that it takes on certain characteristics of animals, and my vulnerability to magic is one of them.

'I do not mean to be offensive, but I am rather surprised at the depth of your knowledge on this matter.' Knowledge said.

Don't worry about it, and I learned a lot of it from Mento, Beast Boy went quiet for a moment. Though some of it was from experience.

All talking ceased once everyone noticed that they were no longer in a void but were in the same room as earlier when Raven had talked to Azar. Raven was just waking up and was a little groggy. It took a moment for her to realize where she was and that she was not alone.

"Azar? What happened? Why am I here?" The child asked.

"Raven, do you remember what happened?"

"A little. I remember being scared because of some noises behind me. And then I got more scared when the noises got louder. Then all of the sudden things started flying off the walls." She was starting to get a little scared again, and Azar noticed that a black aura had enveloped certain things in the room. Immediately she made the connection and tried to calm the girl.

"Hush now, child. You are fine. Everything's alright." Raven visibly calmed, and the black aura disappeared. "Raven, I believe that you have received your powers." Her eyes went wide.

"You mean I was making those things move? But how?"

"I do not know for sure but the more scared you were, the more this power showed up."

"Does it only happen when I'm scared?" Raven asked.

"I do not know, but it appears that the more you feel the worse it is, so just to be on the safe side try not to feel anything too intense."

"Ok." There was a long pause. "Azar?"

"Yes, deary."

"What can you do?"

"I have limited telepathy and even more limited premonition powers," she said with a soft, sad smile.

"So is that how you got me to sleep?"

"Yes, Raven," the older woman replied, standing up and leading Raven to the door. "You are dismissed to your quarters; we will begin lessons in the morning. I have many scrolls to consult."

"Ok and Azar." Azar turned to face her.

"Yes, dear?"

"Thank you." Raven smiled, but when she did the doorknob melted. "Oh, no! I'm so sorry," she apologized.

"It's ok, Raven." She waved her hand and the door opened. "Remember; try not to feel anything too strongly." Raven nodded, before leaving without another word.

*******BBxRae*******

It was the day after Garfield's transformation, and all the adults seemed to be walking on eggshells. Garfield was going in and out of consciousness but seemed to be getting better, so everyone was relieved. Marie was mad at Mark for giving their son a tranquilizer and Mark was mad at her for being mad at him. King Tawaba was just trying to avoid conflict and cater to the recovering child. While both Mark and Marie were angry, their anger paled in comparison to their fear. Raven realized that she was reading their emotions, though she had no explanation as to why. She reasoned that they were scared and unsure of what had happened to their son and were taking their frustrations out on one another.

Garfield had finally woken up, but he felt very different. He suddenly felt the urge to run away from where ever he was, then he felt like hiding beneath his blankets. He felt like yelling and screaming but at the same time didn't want anyone to know where he was. He decided silence beneath the blankets was his best option. He was bombarded with so many sensations; sounds seemed louder and clearer, the world seemed brighter, and everything smelled incredibly strong. He could see new colors that he couldn't describe and new sounds that he couldn't understand. The weirdest thing though was that he could smell what he could only describe as angry. Then he smelled the fear, and it was strangely and eerily intoxicating. He loved the smell, and hated himself for loving it. He was bombarded with more urges than he could process and could not move due to indecision.

Feeling a little more confident (and at the same time terrified, excited, confused, and angry), he poked his head out of the blankets to look around. He recognized where he was as his room in Africa and only then did the memories begin to flood back to him. Being bitten, the disease, his parents pulling every last stop to save him from an incurable disease, King Tawaba, the transformation and all of the pain that went with it. Garfield whimpered as he remembered the excruciating agony that he experienced and remembered that the worst part was in his head. He guessed that that was why he was getting all these new feelings and, the best word he had for his urges was instincts.

He wanted to fly like a bird and dig like a mole and roar like a lion and howl like a wolf. He wanted to glide on currents in the air and undersea, to swim up a flowing river, to graze in fields and stalk unsuspecting prey. He wanted to find a dark place that he could go sleep yet felt restless and couldn't sit still.

He got up and began to wander around the room, picking up odd things and inspecting them like he had never seen them before. Chewing on corners of furniture and scratching on furniture legs. That's when he saw them, the claws. Well, they were practically talons, so long and dangerously curved. He flexed his fingers and they retracted some, but they were still there. And they were so sharp he could glide them across a surface gently and they would still leave scratches. His skin was no longer the peachy color he remembered but instead a vibrant green. He touched his face but cut himself with his daggers for fingers.

Gonna have to be careful with those, he thought to himself. They're dangerous.

For Raven, all of this was extremely weird; there was no other way to describe it. Somehow through her powers she could feel every sensation he was feeling and she was astonished.

"I wonder if this is how it always is for him. Maybe that's why he always seems so scatter-brained. Because he's got too much going on in his head." She chuckled. "Never thought I'd say that about Beast Boy."

She couldn't help but draw comparisons between her and the Garfield. She constantly had to fight to keep her emotions under control otherwise things would begin blowing up. Meanwhile he had so many instincts and urges that he had to keep in check so that he could appear normal to others. However, Raven also recognized glaring differences. While she had to keep herself empty, Garfield literally could not sit still unless he called upon certain animal instincts, which she suspected was harder than it sounded.

Just then King Tawaba entered the room. Garfield was accidentally ripping his blankets to shreds with his hands and feet. The King was startled, but his surprise quickly melted away into a giant's smile.

"Garfield, you are awake," he exclaimed in his native tongue.

"Stay away!" The boy shouted in fear. "I'm dangerous!" Garfield was crying and still trying to cover up his green skin with the shredded blanket.

"Stay right here, little one. I shall be right back. Everything is going to be ok, I promise." And he left to retrieve his parents. Garfield thought that he was in trouble for destroying his bedding and fearfully awaited his parents return. His instincts were screaming at him, some saying to turn tail and run and others saying to stand his ground and fight. Again he was frozen in indecision. Suddenly his mother and father entered the room looking overjoyed and he was confused. Shouldn't he be in trouble?

"Garfield, are you ok?" His mother asked worriedly.

"We've been worried sick, how are you feeling?" His father asked. They both moved closer to hug and kiss their scared child, but Garfield protested.

"Stop! Don't come near me, I'm dangerous," he shouted. His parents stopped when they saw what he had done to the room. Mark stared in wonder at all the damage, but Marie quickly zoned back in to her son.

"It's ok, Gar. You're going to be alright." Garfield began to calm down, but his oversized ears were twitching like crazy. "Now I'm going to come and hold you, lets both just be gentle, ok?" He nodded wearily, and his mother scooped him up in a loving embrace. He returned her hug and tears were in his eyes.

"I'm so scared mom." Mark came up to them and wrapped his arms around them.

"Are you feeling ok, are you in any pain," Mark asked.

"No, I'm not hurt. But my head is all weird and I want to do things that don't make any sense. I feel like a monster."

"Stop, Gar. Don't you ever say that. You are not a monster, you are my son," Mark said lovingly.

"But I've got monster claws and green skin and..."

"Garfield, no matter what you look like you will always be our son, and we will always love you. Monsters are evil, but you are the most good thing that has ever happened to me and your father. You are no monster, do you understand?"

"Yes Mom. I'm not a monster," he repeated, not thoroughly convinced.

"Good. Now, let's get you some new sheets."

/bbxrae\\\

Garfield was sitting up on the table in the middle of the lab room, talking with his dad about everything that he was sensing and feeling.

"And there are these brand new colors that I can see, but only some of the time."

"Fascinating. There has been speculation that some species have a different visible spectrum than humans, but you are living proof! What else is different about your senses?"

"Well, everything smells stronger and clearer, but there are these brand new smells that make no sense. Sometimes it smells like fear, and other times it smells like love, and it keeps changing and smelling like different, what are they called…"

"Emotions?"

"Yeah, emotions." Mark was struck speechless before looking forlorn.

"Gar, the serum changed you. Are you angry at me for doing this to you?"

"No, Dad. I'm feeling all these new things and it's scary, but I wouldn't have it any other way. With you and mom here to help me." They embrace in a hug before Mark winces in pain.

"Gar, claws."

"Oh, sorry Dad," he apologized as he retracted his claws. "Hey, Dad? Do you think we could maybe cut them or trim them so that they don't hurt anyone?"

"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing." He got up and went to look for something. "I think we should file them down a little. I don't want you to lose your claws even though they're inconvenient. They're a part of you now and the best way to deal with what has happened is to accept it. All of it." He had grabbed the file and was standing in front of Garfield. "From the tips of your ears to your little clawed feet." He tickled Garfield's bare feet, bringing giggles to his face.

"Hehehe stop, Dad! That tickles!" Mark laughed.

"That's the point." Mark stopped tickling his son and began to file off the tips of Garfield's claws.

"Hey, Dad. Why were you and Mom angry at each other earlier?" Mark stopped filing for a moment, before sighing and resuming his work.

"Gar, your mother and I, well, we blamed ourselves for what happened. And instead of working things out like adults we got mad at one another for no reason. I'm guessing you could smell our anger for a while?" Garfield nodded. "Don't worry, though. We worked it out."

"That's good."

"Yeah," he said. "How about when we get done here you and your mother go take a walk, I got some work to do."

"Dude, I can't wait." The boy smiled.

/bbxrae\\\

"Garfield, slow down," Marie laughed. Garfield was running around with his arms stretched out like he was flying.

"Look, Mom! I'm an eagle!"

"You sure are, Gar." Marie laughed again. She always loved going on walks with Garfield, he had so much energy.

Raven couldn't help but feel a little jealous of Garfield. He had two parents who loved him and didn't care if he was different. She knew it was silly, but she had never had that growing up. She never knew her mother and her father was an interdimensional demon lord. Not the greatest parental figures. Azar was a motherly figure, but all of that changed when she got her powers and couldn't feel anymore.

Suddenly Marie screamed.

"Garfield, run!" Raven saw a king cobra reared up in front of Marie. Raven reached for The Beast to both comfort herself and the hulking creature.

Garfield did not turn and run like he was told but instead became determined to save his mother. Oh how he wished that a mongoose would come and save his mother. He would even turn into one to save her, he was close enough. All of the sudden Garfield felt excruciating pain much like the day he turned green only this time it only lasted a second. The next thing he knew his instincts overpowered him and he was tearing his teeth through the neck of the cobra. He couldn't control himself and began to gorge himself on the raw flesh of the cobra, not stopping until the bones were picked clean. He was seeing red, but it faded after a while and soon he found himself as a little boy once again.

"Garfield, what just happened?" She was terrified, he could smell it.

"I don't know, Mom." He was scared, but the look of disgust on his mother's face left him ashamed of himself. He looked back at the carcass of the snake before throwing up, sick with what he had just done.

"Are you ok, Gar?" All of her fear was gone, replaced by worry and love. Garfield ran up to her and hugged her fiercely.

"I will be Mom. I will be."

*******BBxRae*******

And that's it! Finally finished chapter 6. Thank you all for taking the time to read my story, you guys are awesome! Before this is chapter is over though, I would like to apologize for a few things. It's been tough trying to get this thing written, with sporadic work (I mean work work, not work habits), procrastination, writers block, and general business all staring as obstacles in my writing. I'm sorry that it took so long for this story to be updated, I will try to do better.

On another note I'm going to be gone for two weeks starting Sunday at a camp and will be unable to write. Then I have a two week break before I go back to work there Pro Bono kind of thing. So over the next few months I'll be lucky if I can update more than once or twice.

Though just because I'm gonna be gone doesn't mean you don't have to review. I promise when I get back I will reply to every review you guys leave, so don't be shy. I might be able to respond to a few before I leave if I have the time.

And that's another thing, I've got (currently) 92 follows, 67 favorites, and 78 reviews all in this one story. On top of that I've gotten 5,988 views on this thing, so tghats a great number. So thank you guys so much, I'm surprised that so many people like this story, it really is a good motivation to keep going.

And feel free to go and check out my two oneshots if you haven't already.

Also, do you guys think I should start a mailbag kind of thing or are you guys fine with me PMing my responses. I know I get all tingly when I see my username in a mailbag, but I also like the conversations started through the PMs so let me know what you think.

Thanks again for reading, I hope you loved it as much as I loved writing it. Review please! I'll update a new chapter in a few weeks, so 'til then!