-First off, I'd like to apologize that this final chapter took so long. A lot of notes- Raven's dialogue, and some other overall ideas- were somehow lost, so I had to make do. Write down your ideas, people. In multiple places, if you can. It's really easy to lose stuff.

-Also, I'm working on a new Teen Titans project. Keep an eye out- hopefully, I'll get started pretty soon- although I will be offline for about a week after today.

-Anybody know where I'm getting these chapter titles?

-Finally, thank you all for reading, and I'm sorry to say this is officially the end of the story. After the mega-edit that changed it from a oneshot into a multichapter fic, the plan was always to have 5 chapters, and I see no reason to change that. The fact that you're on this page at all is awesome, and thanks again!

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Waves gently lapped at the rocky shoreline.

For an island, it had never really seemed... secluded. He'd never felt cut off from the rest of Jump, never thought that the bay isolated him. Flying and swimming made it pretty easy to get from one coast to the other, and most of the time, he didn't even think of the bay as anything but a part of his home.

But now, it seemed enormous. Dividing the city, it looked like it went on for miles before the buildings rose up on the horizon.

Beast Boy shivered as he stared out over the water. The city- what was it like for them? How did people act on days like this, when the sun came up and everything was normal?

And... what did they do if it wasn't?

Raven's voice floated from behind him. "You should come back in."

He turned, carefully stepped over the rocks on the beach. "Why?"

Further up the bank, Raven crossed her arms. "Because you're acting strange," she said bluntly. "The others are worried. It would go a long way if you'd just spend some time with your friends."

He kept walking. Raven sighed. "You know, like a normal day."

Beast Boy was too tired to think of a joke, so he just shrugged. "It's not really a normal day."

"Yeah." She kept her gaze level. "Still."

"...Alright." He started up the shore, not looking at Raven as he approached the path that led to the Tower.

When he passed, she reached out to stop him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Wait."

He shook her off, frowning. "What?"

"This isn't like you." She raised her eyebrows. "You're not arguing with me."

Feeling irritated, he let himself slip back into his joking, casual style. "Sure, Rae," he said. "I'm acting weird no matter what I do. I get it. You're hilarious." He gave a sarcastic salute, scowling as he turned back. "Later."

"Look, I'm just-"

"Just what?" Beast Boy stopped again. "What is it?"

Raven didn't blink, expression unreadable as always. "I'm trying to understand," she said quietly. "The truth is, I just can't figure you out."

He bristled. "Really. Well, maybe don't try to figure me out." This time, he didn't turn around, but held her stare defiantly.

She gave a slight nod. "Fair enough. I apologize."

It took him by surprise, and he blinked. "Yeah... well... whatever," he stammered. "Why'd you come out here, anyway?"

"I told you. They were worried." Raven glanced up at the Tower. "We were worried," she said.

Something in him rebelled against the words, and he shook his head. "You shouldn't be." What am I saying? Of course they'd be upset. And I know I need their help, but...

"Listen." Raven narrowed her eyes. "This can't be easy. I get that you're finally talking about the mutations, but that's not enough. If you really want to keep it from happening again, you can't avoid everyone now."

"Yeah, like you care," he snapped, but he knew there was no weight to the words.

Raven tilted her head to one side, quietly watching him. When she finally spoke, her voice was blunt. "Why are you so scared?"

What?

Beast Boy froze. How did she know? She couldn't know. He hadn't told anyone- not even Cyborg- about the fears that were haunting him. She couldn't know. She must have been guessing.

"Scared of what?" he managed. He could feel his face burning, and the quake in his voice betrayed him.

She hadn't changed expression. She was still watching him, not accusing or demanding. Simply asking, like she just wanted to know how he was doing that day. "Empath, remember?" she said. "It's obvious fear has something to do with all this."

He wanted to deny it. He wished he could just laugh it away, firing off one of his jokes and convincing her that everything was fine. But it was all he could do to keep a straight face- something in his mind was slipping, falling away, and he was barely holding on. "Doesn't matter," he said haltingly. "I'm not- it's fine."

He could swear she almost growled. "Beast Boy."

"It doesn't matter," he repeated, bringing his hand up to his ear. It looked like he was just scratching at his hair, but he was pushing, forcing pressure onto his head, because it just ached and felt like pieces were trying to get out and no no no it can't happen again-

Raven took a step closer. "I know it seems easier to be alone. To hide your problems, instead of admitting anything. But trust me, it's not worth it." She paused. "And there's nothing wrong with being afraid."

He tried to keep his breathing under control. "You wouldn't understand."

Just for a moment, anger flickered in her eyes. "Seriously? You're telling me I don't know what it's like to be scared?"

"That's not it-"

"Look at me, Beast Boy." Raven waited for him to react, then set her mouth in a thin line. "Do you ever pay attention to your friends? Starfire is terrified for you. Cyborg's furious with himself because he knows there's nothing he can do to help. And Robin..." Shaking her head, she gestured to the Tower "Every day, he tries to hold all this together. Can you imagine what it's like now?"

He was shaking, but she hadn't noticed. The words flew quick and strong, nearly accusations, and he could focus on one thing, but not both.

Stay calm.

I'm hurting my friends.

Stay in control.

It's my fault.

But she didn't mean it like that, did she?

"What about you?" he asked quietly. It was like everything in him was holding its breath.

Raven lowered her gaze. "...I'm angry," she said, and there was an edge in her voice, cold and foreign. "I'm mad that you keep trying to pull away from us. I'm mad you thought we couldn't help. But mostly, I'm just angry that this had to happen at all."

She's different

Everything changes

My fault

Holding it all together

EVERYTHING CHANGES

He could feel it.

Beast Boy's eyes mutated first, and the world went black as he fell forward. Crying out, he caught the ground with his palms, but the bones began to shift in his left wrist. He desperately tried to hold his arm closer, pinning it to his uniform, when something in his ears morphed, and his sense of balance vanished. Still blinded, he felt himself collapse onto the sand, dimly aware of Raven's shocked voice.

...Not dying. He wasn't dying, but he was losing.

"Beast Boy!"

Whatever it was, it was nearly gone.

Raven was saying something, but he couldn't hear.

What if he just... didn't get back up? He'd been trying so hard to change back, to become himself again, but what if it didn't happen? He was finding it more and more difficult to think clearly- was he trying to fix the mutations?

How?

Her voice was still echoing, and he couldn't make out the words, but she sounded worried.

That was it. If he couldn't change back, then they would lose him. He'd been so scared that he would lose them- Beast Boy had never thought that he might be the one to leave.

But did it really matter? Either way, it would all end. The fear was creeping back, faster and faster, and it was crushing him and-

"Garfield!"

The name was loud, even clear.

Everything seemed to stop. Slowly, painfully, Beast Boy saw color and light return to his vision. The mutations in his arms had already reverted, and he thought he could feel Raven helping him sit up slowly.

He couldn't think. He could barely move.

"Rae-" She held a hand to his back as he doubled over, coughing. "How-"

For a moment, Raven silently looked out over the bay. Beast Boy struggled to his hands and knees, staring down at the sand. "How do you know my name?" he whispered.

Silence. When he finally glanced up, she was holding her head in her hands.

"I didn't mean to," she said quietly. "I swear, I didn't try."

All at once, it hit him. She read my mind.

When she lifted her face, he saw real grief. "That first night, when we found you... your emotions were strong. I knew there was something you were afraid of, and-" Raven stopped, but not before he could hear a tremor in her voice. "I thought I could have helped. So this time, I tried."

He was numb.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." The words rushed out, and Raven shook her head, closing her eyes tightly. "It was just supposed to keep you calm. Safe. I would never- I wouldn't-"

Beast Boy finally stood. Exhaustion was clinging to him, and there was still a faint ache pounding in his head, but he focused on what he was hearing. "So, that's it?" he asked. "You know everything?"

She nodded, tears drying below her eyes.

Everything.

He felt lost. Stripped of even his most private memories. His name, his parents, his entire life- Raven saw it all. A simple accident.

What could he say? She knew what he was feeling, and his reasons for it.

A strange half-chuckle sounded from his throat. "Dude..." He shook his head, trying not to burst into tears as he sat back down. "That's messed up."

Raven sighed. "Yeah."

He let his head fall forward, then rubbed at his eyes. "I really hate this, Rae." His voice was breaking, but he didn't care. "I'm sick of it all."

"I know."

The sun slipped behind a cloud, casting the island in half-darkness. Beast Boy glanced up, watching the white and gray wisps fly past, listening to the waves against the sand.

Raven took a deep breath. "You're scared that we'll leave. Just like they did."

It was too blunt- it couldn't begin to explain his parents. The Patrol. The tribes, for the short time he'd known them. But he found himself nodding. "What's gonna happen?" he asked quietly. "What if it falls apart? What if one of us dies?"

Raven didn't say anything. "I'm... I'm really happy here." He blinked, and the sun was back out. Pinpoints of light danced on the waves in the bay. "I don't know if I can-"

If I can lose anybody else.

His breath caught. This was it- the fear that had been affecting his powers.

Raven put her hand on his shoulder, then began to speak.

Starfire might not have answered. She might hug him, saying he didn't have to think about questions like that, and she might have reminded him how much his friends cared for him.

Cyborg would have cheered him up. He'd promise that the bad guys will never win, 'cause we're just that good, and Beast Boy would probably laugh and eventually forget about it.

Robin might have taught him something. He could have used the moment to emphasize a hero's responsibility, to teammates as well as the city, and he could say that it's dangerous but it's the right thing to do.

"You're right. We could die."

Raven didn't look away from him. "The Titans will end, eventually. And yes, we could lose our friends. It may happen."

I hate this.

"But there's no magic answer, Beast Boy. No one just... breaks through that fear."

There's no way out.

"We're all just as scared."

He jerked away, startled. "What?"

Smiling gently, Raven looked back to the Tower. "You know Robin. He thinks it's his responsibility to keep the team together, to keep us all safe-" She paused. "But he knows he won't be able to forever."

"And I know you've been through a lot, but Cyborg and Starfire- their fear is just as strong. I don't know the details, but I think they've had to deal with loss and change just as much as you."

I had no idea. For the first time in days, he was starting to feel like he wasn't so alone. Even though the others had promised it, Beast Boy thought maybe he hadn't really believed them until now.

"It's like something Robin told me once," Raven said. "I didn't understand at first. He was talking about how much we depend on each other. He said we're not a team because we have the same strengths- it's because we have the same weaknesses. Maybe the Teen Titans aren't all about the superpowers. Maybe it's about this."

Beast Boy blinked, then crossed his arms. "What about you?" he asked again.

She raised her eyebrows. "You think I'm never afraid?"

"Well, yeah." He hadn't meant to blurt that out. For a second, they were both frozen, Beast Boy desperately trying to think of a way to take it back. "I mean, uh, you don't seem like you ever really get, y'know, scared... or angry, or really happy, or anything-"

Raven glared, and he felt like he could fall through the earth.

Then she cracked a small grin. "Sorry to disappoint."

He started laughing. He wasn't sure why- it wasn't that funny- but he didn't want to stop, so he leaned back and faced the sky, and kept laughing, and Raven finally joined in.

When the sun was setting, and the bay air was getting colder, and Beast Boy noticed how tired he was, they slowly stood up. "So, what now?" Raven asked.

He shrugged. "I guess we go back inside."

Stretching, she allowed herself another smile. "Glad to hear it."

As he started up the path to the Tower, he paused. "Hold on."

Raven turned. "Hm?"

"So, you know my name, where I lived as a kid, and even where I sleep at night..." Beast Boy grinned. "Geez, Rae, stalker much?"

She scowled, but there was a twinkle in her eyes. "Grow up, Beast Boy."