Chapter 15

"A Return to Normalcy"

"Raven?"

God, what happened?

"Raven, can you hear me?"

The last thing I remember was Terra sinking into the pool, then…

With a start, Raven sat up, checking her stomach for strange white holes. Relief went through her when she realized it wasn't there anymore. She then looked up at her friends, whose expressions of shock told her they didn't expect her to jump up like that. She smiled, a genuine one this time, at the fact they cared whether or not she was alive. Silence reigned for about five seconds when Beast Boy timidly broke it.

"Uh, is everything all right?"

Raven inclined her head, slightly, "Yes, I think so, for now at least." Then she got quiet, thinking about all the things that has happened in the last couple of days and a small frown replaced the gentle smile. This sudden change in expression worried the Titans.

Everyone exchanged a look with one another, then Robin asked, "What is the problem now, Raven?"

Instead of answering, Raven got up and examined her surroundings. A small grin grew on her face, she was in her room. She suddenly frowned and she turned to glare at her friends for being inside of her room. The Titans immediately understood her reaction and went pale, their eyes and jaws nearly hitting the floor. No black power surrounded Raven yet, but the Titans were still able to feel her wrath.

Instead of throwing her friends out of her room, Raven smiled and went to the window. When she was standing in front of it she started to speak. "Everything that happened for the last couple of days, hours, have been real traumatizing for me. First, Terra invades my body, then she turns my own emotions against me with the help of my 'father', then attempted to take over my body."

Beast Boy shook his head, disbelieving, "C'mon, tell me that isn't true, why would she want to hurt you like that?"

Raven just turned her head to the side, "She just wanted to be with you guys again, us I mean…well I hoped it was all of us…but maybe it wasn't…"

"Why did Terra try to take over?" Cyborg asked gently before Raven started to brood again.

"It was because I didn't let her take control of me once in a while, or more often than that." Raven looked down at the floor, and gliding away from the rest she added, "Maybe I should have let her…?"

"No, Raven." She felt Robin's hand on her shoulder, "She had no right to invade your body, it is yours to do what you want to it. Her body had long been destroyed, she sacrificed it for the greater good. But her selfishness has proved to be far greater then her heroism, as she expected to be repaid in return. It's definitely not your fault."

"She did ask if she could use my body…sort of." Raven quietly admitted, she felt a little ashamed of herself. Robin shook his head.

"She still shouldn't have anyway."

"And it's over now," Beast Boy said, keen on changing the subject, "Terra is dead and all is well…uh, is Terra dead? I mean she can't die twice, right? I mean, all that was left was a soul, so a soul can't die-"

Raven held up a hand to silence Beast Boy's rambling, and he quieted down just staring at her, waiting for her to say something. After a moment's silence, Raven decided to speak again.

"She is gone, but not entirely."

Everyone gave each other a look, each trying to decrypt what she was saying, each of them going over the possibilities in their minds, and coming up with nothing.

Finally Robin asked, "What exactly does that mean, Raven?"

"It means that she is trapped in my memories; drowned, really."

"So, she's not dead, then?"

Raven was thoughtful for a moment, then she carefully replied, "No, she still is alive, there may be a chance for her to return and try to finish what she had started, she had almost won, but you guys coming made all the difference."

Robin looked confused, "Meaning…?"

Raven looked him straight in the eye, "Meaning that your love made all the difference, when you met Love, she was very small. She won't grow into her full form until all love is fulfilled."

Beast Boy scratched his head, "Wait, so that means…hey, Raven, who do you have a crush on?" he asked her, batting his eyelashes.

Raven rolled her eyes, "Certainly not you." Beast Boy's face fell as everyone laughed. Beast Boy frowned after a moments thought, and asked, "So...who are you in love with?"

Starfire gasped and her eyes immediately lit up. Cyborg smiled widely and Robin grinned. Raven opened her mouth with a shocking expression on her face, but she soon closed her mouth, blushed a bit, and shook her head.

"I'm not in love with anybody."

Starfire looked a bit disappointed. "Then how could the tiny emotion, Love, be in existence?"

"Because," Robin started, his face showing confidence. Raven assumed he was the only one who knew the answer. "There are two different types of love. Romantic love, and...a family love."

Raven blushed into a darker shade of red. She turned back to look out the mirror, suddenly looking at flying birds pass by became a very interesting sight to her.

"Awwww Raven loves us!" Beast Boy grinned broadly. Starfire also shared an equally huge grin and she flew towards Raven and grabbed her into an air killing embrace.

"Well, at least everything is back to normal, now I'm in the mood for some waffles!" Cyborg said, changing the mood and wanting to satisfy his stomach at the same time. Starfire was startled.

"Is it the morning already?" she asked, Robin looked at his watch.

"Well, it is almost noon, but waffles sounds good to me too." He smiled.

"C'mon y'all, a waffle feast to celebrate Raven's victory!" Cyborg announced as he and the rest of the Titans walked out of Raven's dark room.

Robin was the last out and noticed Raven lagging behind. He stopped at her doorframe and turned to give her a questioning look. Raven turned to look at him, smiled and nodded. Robin returned the smile and continued following the other Titans.

Once he was out of sight, Raven's smile fell. She sighed as she slowly walked towards her mirror. She stared long and hard at her reflection, half expecting her hair to turn blonde and her eyes to turn blue. Terra wasn't dead, she drowned in her memories, making Terra's memories a part of her own. Vivid images of dozens of strange, unrecognizable people, dark caves, and training with Slade flashed through her head. Terra was still in her, a part of her. There was still a chance she could return, and if she did Raven actually feared what she could be capable of the second time. The more Terra was one with her memories, the more she could learn of Raven's past, her strengths, her weaknesses, everything.

Raven sighed deeply again and turned her head low. Then she whispered softly to herself, "No...it isn't over yet."

A/N: End, Kikiyophoenix19 and I have finally finished this story. (You can blame her for taking so long to get the final chapter up). We want to thank all our readers, our special thanks to those that have been reading and reviewing this story since chapter 1. If it were up to us we'd give you some presents, Kikiyo would've baked you cookies, and I, on the other hand, would've hired female/male strippers for you ;-)