Hey everybody! Just have a quick one-shot here for you to read. Let me know what you think!

Scars of the Past

BOOM

Garfield jumped at the sudden sound, turning into a monkey and hopping on top of the cabinets in the kitchen.

"What was that?!" Robin asked as he prepared himself for battle.

"Keep cool ya'll, it was just the air conditioner dying on us. Give me a few minutes and I'll have it fixed." Cyborg said as he left the room to look at the unit.

"Whew, I thought Slade was attacking or something!" Gar said, having turned back into human form, sliding off of the cabinets.

"Well, good thing it wasn't, I'm sure you would've been very useful Gar as a monkey hiding with the wonder bread." Raven sarcastically said, going back to reading her book.

"Hey! First of all, we don't eat wonder bread, we eat the bargain brand because it's better and cheaper, and second, I wouldn't hide as a monkey, I would hide as a frog." Gar smirked and crossed his arms.

"Why a frog?" Robin asked.

"Incase Slade checks the cabinets. No one would question a green frog. A green monkey? A little bit conspicuous." Gar joked.

"Whoa, four syllables. I'm impressed Gar." Raven said, lifting her eyebrow, genuinely not expecting such advanced vocabulary from the green teen.

"Well, my vocabularistics have improved a lot with practice!" Beast boy grinned.

"And you ruined it." Raven sighed.

Cyborg reentered the common room. "Okay guys, turns out the AC's damaged badly. I had to order a special part from Gotham. Should be here tomorrow." Cyborg said sadly.

"So we are without the conditioning of air on the hottest night of the year?! How will we ever sleep? It shall be hotter than the Glarsalkasaks rainforest!" Starfire exclaimed.

"Don't worry Star, I'm sure we'll survive one night without cool air." Robin stated, putting his hand on his girlfriend's.

"Yeah Star, besides, we have plenty of fans to hand out!" Gar said.

"Actually Gar…" Cyborg said.

"Cy? We had about fifty of them when we built the tower!" Gar exclaimed.

"Yeah, and I had to use some to cool down my systems while I slept, then some turned into twenty, then twenty turned into forty, and now we only have one working fan left, and I need it so I don't overheat!" Cyborg explained.

"You broke forty-nine fans?!" Robin stood up to face his friend.

"I didn't do it on purpose. I don't have full control when I first wake up." Cyborg looked down at the ground.

"Great, we're going to burn alive." Gar exclaimed.

"A night with no cool air. Whoopdeedo." Raven said as she walked towards her room.

"Where are you going?" Gar asked.

"I'm going to try to fall asleep before we lose all the cool air." Raven explained, then continued on her way.

"Oh, good idea! I'll fall asleep before it gets hot!"

He didn't.

Gar lay awake, staring at the ceiling, trying to fall asleep. He tried shifting into a frog, and a lizard, but remembered, just because he took on an animal's appearance doesn't mean he took on their internal attributes, namely cold-bloodedness.

"Gah! This is impossible!" He said to himself. "There has to be some place in this tower that's not as hot as Scarlett Johansen, but where?!"

Then an idea came into his head.

"Hot air rises, cold air sinks! That's it, the basement will be very cool! I could sleep down there!"

Beast boy jumped out of bed, and threw on a pair of sleep pants and a shirt, which he had discarded to try and cool down.

He entered the elevator, and was about to press the 'B' button, when he spotted a new button directly below the basement icon, but above the submarine launch area.

"P? What's that?" Beast boy pressed it, and the high powered elevator raced down.

"Level P." The computer voice said.

The doors opened to reveal a hall way. At the end of the hallway were two doors that led to a large dark room. Gar flipped the light switch, which revealed a full sized pool.

"Aw sweet!" Beast boy cheered. "This'll help cool me down!"

Beast boy stripped down to his birthday suit, and hopped in.

"Ah… feels so nice. Just like the Ugalla river…" Beast boy remembered as he floated, think of when he used to skinny dip as a boy while his parents were sleeping. The elephants were gathering with their young and cooling themselves from the long hot night. Gar never felt safer.

Gar's ear twitched at the sudden sound of the elevator ding.

"Oh crap!" Gar said, as he looked for a way out of this situation. "Turn into a dolphin, let them see you when they come in, they'll see you in here, and they'll leave." Gar thought.

He did just that.

The doors opened, to reveal Raven, dressed in her sleep ware. She raised her eyebrow at the green dolphin waving his fin at her.

"Gar, what are you doing?" Raven asked.

Gar swam over to the side of the pool, so only his shoulders up were visible to her, and turned back into human form.

"Trying to cool off. What are you doing here?" Gar asked.

"Same. Why are you hugging the side so tightly?" Raven asked.

"Oh, I was trying to maintain eye contact. Is that what you're not supposed to do when talk…"

"It has nothing to do with your boxers laying right over there?" Raven pointed at the purple and green article on the pool room floor.

"Oh yeah, that. Okay Rae, you caught me." Gar said.

"Well, thank you for your 'valiant' attempt to cover it up, but you're fine." Raven said.

"What?! You're not… offended or anything?" Gar asked.

"Why should I be? You were here first, had no reason to think anyone else would come down here, and any excuse for you to get your smell off of you is fine with me. Besides, we see you naked all the time." Raven explained.

"What?! Do you watch me shower?!" Gar exclaimed.

"No. I meant when you morph into animals." Raven explained.

"Oh, okay, I guess so, but still I don't think I'm comfortable with this." Gar said.

"Why? Worried I'll see something?" Raven smirked.

"No, I don't care about that, I meant, my back." Beast boy explained.

"Why would you be scared for me to see your…" Beast boy turned and showed her. "Oh… I see."

His back was covered in large scars. If Raven had to guess, about eighty percent of his back was scar tissue.

"How did that happen?" Raven asked, genuinely concerned.

"My guardian after my parents died treated me like an animal. Beat me endlessly. My only consort was the bath he would let me take once a week, so I could clean my wounds. It stung, but it was better than the lash." Beast boy turned back around to face Raven.

"I'm sorry Gar, that's horrible." Raven said.

"Yeah, I don't like showing them off, which is why I don't go shirt-less ever, unless I'm alone, and for a lifetime nudist, that's difficult!" Beast boy said, trying to lighten the mood a little.

"You know, you don't have to hide from us. We're your friends, we won't judge you." Raven said.

"I know. Tell you what, next time we all go to the beach, I won't wear a shirt, and we'll see what happens." Gar smiled.

"I think that's a good idea." Raven said, breaking a rare true smile. A small smile, but a true one.

"Now, are you just going to stand there and watch me swim in my unclothed glory, or are you going to join me?" Gar smiled up at her.

Raven's eyes went wide.

"Um, I'll leave my clothes on thank you, I wore a swimsuit under this." Raven said.

"Come on Rae, I showed you mine, it's only fair that…"

"Don't finish that sentence." Raven said, shooting him a death look.

"Alright, alright." Beast boy said.

Raven took off her shirt, and revealed a dark blue bikini. Gar's eyes went wide.

"Gar, aren't you going to swim around?" Raven asked.

"What?" Gar asked, flustered.

"You're hugging the side again." Raven stated.

"I know, I just need to cool down before I swim again." Gar said.

"Don't want to strain yourself?" Raven nodded.

Gar blushed, "You could say that."

After a twenty minute swim, Gar and Raven went back to bed.

The next morning, the Titans gathered for breakfast.

"Good morning friends! For breakfast today, I have prepared a delicious assortment of traditional earth foods for your consumption!" Starfire smiled.

The other four looked at the selections of roast beef, pizza, lasagna, chocolate cake, fried chicken, ramen, boiled salmon, and tofu eggs.

"Umm, Star, these foods aren't exactly…" Robin began.

"Tofu eggs and meat-less lasagna?! Yes!" Gar exclaimed.

"Fried chicken and roast beef, count me in!" Cyborg joined in.

Cyborg and Gar pilled their plates and went to the table and began eating. The newspaper caught Gar's eye.

Raven's eyes began to brighten a little more. "Pizza. This day is heading in an upward direction."

"Erection?! I didn't…" Gar suddenly shouted, before stopping himself and looking at everyone looking at him. "notice that they're erecting a new building downtown!"

"Really, what's going to be in it?" Cyborg said.

"Just some offices, but they say it's going to be taller than Jump City's tallest tower, Titans Tower." Beast boy said.

"What?! Give me that!" Cyborg snatched the paper away from Gar.

"Good cooking Star! This is the best breakfast ever!" Gar said.

"I have to concur with Gar." Raven said.

"Yeah, very delicious Star!" Robin complemented giving Star a kiss.

"You've got to be kidding me! By two feet! They're surpassing us by two fracking feet?! Oh, good food Star. Two feet!" Cyborg exclaimed.

"Maybe build a spire, then we can be the titans, lower case t." Raven suggested.

"No, it's fine the way it is. Our tower was never about being the tallest, it was about being the beckon of hope and justice that it is." Robin explained.

"So, when's the beckon of hope and justice going to have its AC fixed?" Gar asked.

"Yes, please say it will be soon. It was hotter than the attractive Earth man Ryan Gosling last night." Starfire whined.

"Star, I'm right here." Robin said.

"Don't worry Rob, we all have our celebrity crushes." Gar smiled at him.

"It'll be fixed soon. The part's scheduled to come in a few hours and then a few hours after that, I'll have the air moving again!" Victor explained.

"In the meantime, we should do something to keep ourselves occupied." Robin said.

"I have to stay here and fix a few things, but you guys should go do something fun!" Cyborg said.

"Do you just want us out of your hair for a while?" Gar asked.

"That would be nice, yes." Cy smiled.

"Alright, what should we do on this glorious sunny day?!" Starfire asked.

"How 'bout the beach?" Raven asked.

Gar's eyes widened.

"Great idea Raven! Everyone, change into your swimsuits, and we'll hit the Titans' beach!" Robin exclaimed.

"You mean the seventy foot long stretch of sand on the east side of the tower?" Raven asked.

"Yes, of course!" Robin said, and then started towards his room.

Gar walked up to Raven.

"You planned that, didn't you?" Gar asked, accusatively.

"The faster you get this done, the easier it will be." Raven stated.

"What will be easier?" Cy asked.

"Are you sure you can't join us for a little while Cyborg?" Raven asked.

"I won't swim, but I guess I could use an hour of sun. I'll set up the volleyball net." Cy said.

"Alright, thank you." Gar said. He looked back at Raven. "I know you're right, but it was easier showing you."

"I know, I'm much more accepting of nudity then Robin or Cyborg." Raven smirked.

"No, I mean, telling you about my past. I just feel more relaxed around you." Gar said, taking Raven's hand.

"I know what you mean. I know you can do this." Raven kissed his cheek, "You've got this." She whispered in his ear, before walking back to her room to change.

Gar rubbed his right cheek, and smiled a big smile.

"She digs me."

The Titans gathered on the beach.

"Okay ya'll, net's ready, umbrellas are out, and Cy is ready for some sun time!" Cyborg sat against a rock, and held up a sun reflector to his face.

Robin and Gar kicked their flip-flops off, as did the girls. Starfire and Raven removed their shirts to reveal their swimsuits. Raven's was the same as last night, and Star's was a bikini version of her usual uniform.

Robin removed his shirt, and sat down on his beach towel.

"Something wrong BB?" Robin asked.

"Oh, no." Gar responded. He took off his shirt, and sat on his beach towel.

Robin smiled at him before looking back at the water.

Cy looked up from his spot at Gar, who was sitting with his back facing him.

"Whoa." Cy looked up at Raven, who had walked towards him, as had Starfire. "Is that what BB was so nervous about?"

"Yeah, try not to notice it." Raven said, "He's still a little insecure."

"Got it." Cy nodded.

"Will do." Star said.

Robin stood up.

"So Gar, want to race? No morphing." Robin said.

"Only is you're ready to lose!" BB challenged.

Robin chuckled, and pated Gar's back, but took his hand away when he felt the scars. Robin glanced at them.

"Gar, is everything…"

"It's fine, and I'm fine. They're just, reminders of the forgotten. Scars of the past. Anyway, you ready? Time to prove to you I don't need powers to best you!" Gar smirked.

Robin looked at him for a second then smirked back. "A lot of tough talk from a string been!"

"We'll see." Gar said, as he and Robin ran into the water.

Gar won, in more ways than one that day.