Sorry I took so long, but I had a huge chapter to write for Falter, and my fingers are killing me. There is a new character introduced at the end, so look out. She is tres important.

Something else that is important. I have a Beta-reader!!! A loyal reveiwer and internet friend, Dragonfriend7738

I dare you to find a spelling mistake. I dare you.

d-a28b - Its not really a good start no, but if there relationship was perfect, we would have no fun. Now I feel bad. I have neglected this story, and I will try to give it some tlc.

Fallfromreality - Your not alone in wondering if Jared and raven are perfect together, but thats the charm in it for me. Couples that never fight are boring and everyone ends up hating them.

Alexander - You and your dirty mind. All though, it is my fault. You know what happens in the bathroom. You know. I know you wern't joking, but thats okay, as you say, you are a man. WHich is also Jareds excuse.

Dragonfriend - Well, you have already read this chapter, I would just like to say thanks again!

Amylove14 - Its good that you read all my stories, that way you know i'm not dead, just lazy.

Shadow - Jared probably should have tried harder to get the communicator, its set up to ring isn't it? Well, not in this chapter.

Desire ays what she wants, thats the point. Would you be upset if there were children?

Lol, Jared told Ana she works for the government because thats where they get their technoligy and such from.

And finally, Jared is insane. And I think you know what he thinks

gwacie21 - Sorry, but I think this one needed some updating, before it died. Mainly my focus will be on falter

Kuyeng13 - Lol, It was supposed to be funny, but maybe because I'm the twisted one. Oh no, your reveiw was like a challenge to me. Now you said you will definatly not read my other story, I'm very upset. *sigh* now I'm going to have to make you somehow.

BlackangelDust - I thought this -having three storys- thing would work out okay for me, but I simply cannot keep up. Oh well, I'll have to keep trying.

Rien Lin - I love that it caused such a passionate response from you. If you love them so much, maybe you should read my other two, very neglected storys. After I finish Falter and unannounced, Heady is next on the list.

Cinnamon sweet - The flight attendant will get hers. Raven will always get her way, in the end.

Nyoko - Not impossible, just hard.

Jared Wilson

Shit, Jared. What did you have to do that for? I asked myself, walking up the narrow airplane aisle, headed for the toilets. I didn't check to see if Raven was behind me. Something about that would undo the confident and unapologetic aura I had been trying to give off. Even though our last words, or at least my last words, had been playful, that look on her face....

But the girl was hot, I reasoned with myself, sliding open the door. The faint engine sound became louder in here. She was good-looking and I am a man, and I didn't do anything with her, so I have nothing to feel guilty about. Still, my blood chilled when I remembered Raven could probably read minds.

The toilet cubicle was small, and grey.

I didn't want to have to limit or cripple my male mentality for her. I loved that girl, but she couldn't change me. I thought it was just a high-school girl thing, women being controlling of your every move. When you would get slapped for looking at the cheerleaders.

Ravens pale hand caught the door before it slipped shut and she squeezed into the large cubicle with me.

She looked up, violet eyes questioning my motives. She looked...sexy, standing in front of me, figure curvy yet slight, lips full and wet.

I would be lying if I told myself I didn't know what I wanted

"You wanted to," She raised an eyebrow almost sarcastically. "Talk?" She settled on, before moving around me to lean against the sink.

I smirked.

"Well, not with words." I replied, judging her mood to be stable enough, wrapping my hands around her waist and pressing her soft body to mine. She was always so cold...

"No," she said softly, suddenly very serous. Her voice was on the verge of being dangerous. I paused, my face inches from her.

"What?"

"No."

I kissed her passionately before she could say anything more, tasting her, but instead of fighting like I wanted, she became rigid, still. I pulled away, frustrated at the response. Her once emotive eyes had become blank. Her face held no expression. Like a doll.

"I should go." She said in monotone, eyes flicking to the door once. I moved my hands to rest on her upper arms, gripping her so she couldn't escape. It was like holding an ice block.

"No, don't do this to me sunshine. Yell, scream, cry, hit me, just don't do this."

"Do what?" She asked; her voice clipped with irritation. I could handle that; I liked the sting of her words. I could handle her anger but not her silence. Usually with women it was the other way around. Raven always went silent when she was unhappy. The kind of unhappy where she liked to pretend she didn't exist as a person anymore.

"Shut down on me." I replied, stroking her long, glossy hair and resting my hand on her cheek. "Pretend you can't feel again. I hate it."

"Well I am Raven." She shot back, mimicking my justification and seemingly, my thoughts. Her eyes were narrowed and not focused on me. They were hovering somewhere over by the door.

"Raven can feel. She feels a lot."

"Raven feels pissed right now." She growled. She was holding her jaw strong. Trying to keep something back.

"And hurt." I sighed. I couldn't pretend to be the strong man who wouldn't apologize. Raven was delicate, not to be toyed with. Playing the normal games was a rookie mistake. It has to be at face value, or nothing at all. "I'm sorry. She just snuck up on me."

This part was true. One minute I was trying to work out my seatbelt, the next I had a pair of tits in my face.

"You obviously weren’t complaining" She hissed, hands suddenly pushing me away. She had gotten very strong, and I let go of her, my body protesting at the separation, the sudden emptiness in my arms. I tried to stay calm myself.

I couldn't think how to explain this to her. Not in a way that would make her see my point of view. All the excuses that made sense in my head, didn't work out loud. Not because they were stupid or pathetic, but because Raven herself would not understand.

"You looked at Robin an awful lot when we were first together." I retorted finally, settling on that. "How is this different, bar my offence being much less serious?"

Her mouth dropped open, but only slightly. Now I felt bad.

"The difference was I was trying to figure myself out, and I never did anything leaning over you, acting like you didn't exist." She said coldly, folding her arms tight across her chest. "Why do you have to keep bringing him up anyway? You won Jared. I am on the plane with you right now and he is in Jump city. Its over "

"I never asked for her to come over!" I replied in frustration. "And I could have mentioned Aqualad too, but I didn't. All I want is to make love to you and get to goddamned Australia. Its all I've wanted for the last fucking year." I said harshly, each and every word honest. It was what I thought about every day, morning and night. Being as close to my sunshine as possible, and planning how meeting my brother would go.

My angel’s eyes softened, and she uncrossed her arms and let them hang at her sides. Maybe desperation was what she could understand with me. It was a connection we often made. Desperation for freedom, desperation for family, desperation for each other...

"You never really told me much about your life before your parents died. Or your plans for your brother."

"That won't help." I said. I didn't want to talk about it.

"It will help me," She countered calmly. Now I was pissed. She seemed to have sudden clarity and I had no clue.

"How?" I asked tensely, trying not to get angry at her since I was angry at the world. "How will it help you? It won't make us any closer to Ben."

"Your right. But it will help make me closer to you." She whispered, coming closer to me, burying her head in my neck. Unconsciously I wrapped my arms around her, anger fading into nothing. Feeling sunshine’s warm breath on my skin calmed me like nothing else in this life. She was my lifeline.

Raven really wanted to understand. Maybe she was the only one that could. Our tragic pasts were disfigured in completely different ways, yet still, they were both disfigured. Ugly, mutilated things, that seemed to stretch back for miles, wanting to catch up.

Maybe sharing mine with her fully, the way she had shared hers with me, I could fill in some missing links between us. We weren't even close to teetering on the edge of a breakdown, but even an inch closer to that edge scared me beyond belief.

"We have a long flight ahead of us." I said into her hair. "When we get back to our seats I'll tell you the whole mess."

"When we get back to our seats." She agreed, lifting her head so she had to height to wrap her lips around my bottom one. I closed my top lip, catching her.

It’s been a beautiful trip so far.

Raven Roth

Taking my seat again was easy. I knew that... slut had seen me come back with Jared, and though it was wrong, I felt a certain sense of victory. It was probably a territorial, demon thing. Or maybe it was just a female thing.

Most likely female.

Jared didn't bother to try and buckle his belt this time. His hair was messed up again, from me. He smiled; I smiled back, knowing my face was a little flushed.

"Are you going to tell me now?" I asked quietly. A airplane full of curious passengers who were already interested in us wasn't the best place to talk, but as I had said back in the toilets, he knew more about me than I knew about him, and that was in no way fair. I was going to learn about his childhood. No passengers would get in my way.

His smile disappeared a little, and he ran a hand through his hair without thinking. There was no space between us now, and my hand was entwined in his other across the armrest.

"What do you want to know?" He asked finally. I shrugged.

"Just tell me something...something about your past."

He snorted at how vague I was.

"I've told you all about mine." I reminded him. He knew me better than anyone. More than Robin even, but that was how it should be. Robin, after all, was only my best friend.

"No, only a brief overview of some things that happened. You haven't told me about...that temple you grew up in, or that Malchior guy your idiot friend keeps going on about."

My stomach flipped at the mention of the lizard’s name. I took a deep breath. I had never expected that word to leave Jared’s lips. I was accustomed to hearing it on Beast Boy’s.

"What exactly do you want to know?" I threw his own question back at him, the only problem was; he had an answer.

"Were did you grow up?" he shot back in a second, followed by a wonderful smile.

"Azarath." I said back. He already knew this...

"Where exactly?"

"The temple..."

"Where in the temple?" he probed. I sighed.

"The third... floor." I pictured my room in my head, with the big window so I could see the whole of Azarath. Not that I could ever go down there...

"Describe it for me." Jared said, leaning back in his seat, giving my hand a gentle squeeze. I didn't really see the point.

"It had white stone floors, a window and a single bed."

"There had to have been more than that."

"No, not besides sheets and pillows. I didn't spend much time there."

"Wouldn't the stone floors have been cold?" He asked inquisitively.

"I thought we were learning about you." I muttered.

"Just tell me if it was cold or not."

"Fine. No it wasn't cold. Its hot on Azarath."

"How hot?"

I stared at him in amused exasperation.

"Nice hot. Sun on your back but shade under the trees hot."

"If you didn't spend time in your room, then where did you spend it?"

"With Azar."

"Who's Azar?"

I could spend all day telling him about her. There was a word for Azar, one that was on the tip of everyone’s tongue when they saw or thought about her, it just wouldn't come out. Indescribable, but I would try.

"She was...my mother and my mentor for the first part of my life. She trained me alongside the monks, but unlike them she seemed to understand somewhat. Understand that when I couldn't do something immediately it wasn't because I was trying to ruin them. No one trusted me, even as a four year old."

"So she was the one who taught you to be... guarded." He said, more of a statement than a question. There was a hint of accusation. My chest warmed at the thought of his protective streak for me. Jared loved me; the thought kept coming up at such strange moments.

"Yes. But she had to, for her people. She was the leader of Azarath, the title passed down from her mother. She never had children, though she never seemed to age until right before she died. She was beautiful. I'm not sure what race she was, maybe not a race at all, but she had the smoothest coffee-colored skin and hair down to her waist. When she got sick her hair turned white and the skin around her eyes darkened. When she died Arella tried to look after me."

"And then you came here?"

"Yes, we went through the whole Arella mess before we left. Can we talk about you now?" he shrugged mutely. "Just tell me... what was your mothers name?" I asked softly. The mood changed. He had never really talked about his parents. It struck me Jared had been an orphan. Was still an orphan.... what age did you stop?

"Her name was Mary. She had short Blond hair and was very pretty. A housewife. I remember her being the one who was always there, with new crayons or a paper towel. Ben was her favourite. She used to carry him around like a doll, making sure nothing happened to him. Maybe that’s why he was so small, or maybe that’s because he was so small."

"And your father?"

"Daniel. Hair like mine and smelled like cigarettes. I can't remember what he did, but he was ex-army. But I was his favourite, I think." He suddenly smiled. "He got me into martial arts when I was five. It was one of the only things I carried on doing after they died."

"Is that where you learned...?" I gestured to him in general, and his smile became a grin. Red-X had to of come from somewhere. I knew Jared's skill hadn't just materialized one day.

"Some of it." He said cryptically. I narrowed my eyes, though the effect was ruined by the fact we were still holding hands, his finger stroking my palm occasionally.

"You have to tell me."

"An airplane is hardly the place Raven," he fake-sighed, mocking common sense.

"Your so annoying. You said you would tell me."

"I don't remember that."

"Sure you don't." I sighed sarcastically, while he smiled.

Silence, but it was comfortable and warm, not like the ones I was used to.

"I... went to China for a while." He finally gave in, nodding to himself. I stared at him.

"Uh when?"

"School trip when I was fifteen. I didn't have enough money to go on, so I obviously stole the cash. Once I got there, the teacher was pissing me off, so I separated."

"You just left?"

"Yep."

"And....?"

"Went to watch some cage fighting."

"Are you telling me that your skills come from Chinese cage fighting," I said in a dead voice. That was so... Jared. So why was it unexpected?

"Well, there was this guy there, and he was an ass, so I challenged him, and then there was this little Chinese woman, and she said that the winner got to meet this master guy. So I was like, what the hell."

"Your an idiot."

'What? I won the fight."

"Who goes to China and becomes a cage fighter?"

"Do you want to hear the rest of the story?"

"Yes goddamn it."

"Well, I went and saw this master guy, who turned out to be the old woman. She showed me a whole lot of shi-new martial arts moves. "

"Aha. And this is how you became a master thief, who beats even Robin occasionally." I replied in disbelief.

"The suit helps." he said modestly.

"You seemed to take on Kyd Wikked okay at the fire." I cocked an eyebrow.

"Well, he had no strength. And as I say, I have been doing martial arts since I was five, and I was doing them seriously as well. I seemed to be naturally good at it, and it got rid of some of my aggression."

"You mean, if you didn't do martial arts, I would have more testosterone-fueled violence from you to deal with?"

"Count your blessings sunshine."

"I do." I smiled in amusement. With a quick glance at the window I noted it was darkening outside.

Tui Henderson

"Be back before it gets dark, and stay away from the river this time!" Gemma yelled. I took no notice, and pulled open the front door, and then the mozzie screen door after it, letting them both slam shut with two loud bangs.

I sighed and walked out onto the porch, jogging down the wooden steps. The light switched on at my presence, focused on the deck-swing like a spotlight does an opera singer. The light was unneeded and unnecessary. The sun was still up, and the heat from the fading day was strong enough to go through my singlet-shirt and warm my overly tanned back.

Dog yelped in protest as I walked past her, not bothering to stop and talk, or even pet her fluffy patchwork head. She raced ahead of me down the path, stopping to bark at me every few meters to make sure I kept up. My sandals did nothing to stop the loose almost red dirt from dusting my feet black, so I shrugged to myself and kicked them off.

I was used to smoldering darkness at this time of night, even in summer. A slight chill, and goose bumps rising on my legs where the usual type of shorts I traditionally wore for half the year didn't protect and provide cover. The things I would have said I hated a year ago were some of the things I found myself missing most about Auckland. The temperature in Aussie was nice, especially here in Surfers Paradise, but at this time of night it was unnatural. When it rained the heat still got to me.

When it rained in New Zealand, you had better put that coat on or you would end up shivering and soaked to the bone, while other people laughed at you. I missed it more than I ever thought possible.

Deciding Gemma had no right to tell me what to do, I went down the split in the dirt track that let to the river. I needed as walk, and I highly doubted any crocs would suddenly decide to show up in that particular river, in that particular spot, at this particular time.

Anyway, at least then Ben would feel bad if I died on his land.

I quickly revoked the thought and ran to catch up with Dog. The border collie seemed to grin and took off, legs going a mile a minute. I slowed down. Really, Gemma had every right to tell me what to do.

Not every parent would let their son’s girlfriend move in.

Not really son. Not technically.

But still, definitely their son.

Gemma and Jim adopted him when he was five or six, as long as Ben himself could remember. Gemma had every right to tell me what to do, now that I was staying here. But she was not my mother, so I doubted I could keep any promise to myself, or her, to keep out of trouble. Or keep away from the river, for that matter.

It was a peaceful place, surrounded by gum and eucalyptus trees, the water a murky brown, overrun with hungry female mosquitoes. I needed to keep an eye on Dog, or she would try to get in. Couldn't be too careful. Dog was my only friend when Ben was in a mood.

And he was often in a mood.

New Zealand was where everyone I knew was, all my friends and all my family. In Australia with Ben had seemed like a great place to go. Quitting school was something I had been planning for a while. It wasn't my thing, and year 12 was too hard for me to bother. What I hadn't planned was what I would do after I left. My sister Lissy had been annoyed, said I was missing a golden opportunity she hadn't been given.

I didn't go and make her get pregnant did I? And I didn't make my dad a common criminal, and I didn't make my mum marry him. All these things that weren’t my fault seemed to somehow become intertwined with me and this was the only place I could shake them loose.

Trading South Auckland for the gold coast had seemed a brilliant idea.

After all, Ben lived here. His family had seemed lovely, generous, and since they already had three foster children, they reasoned that one more teenager wouldn't make much of a difference.

And yet... Ben didn't seem as kind and different when I spent most of my time with him. His family didn't seem so lovely when Gemma was telling me what to do, and trying to get me back to school. And when 'Tilda refused to give back my hair straighteners, or Leon wouldn't stop looking at me in a way I didn't like.

One more child in a house by the dirt bike track outside the city did make a difference. It had three bedrooms, and since Gemma wouldn't even let me near Bens bed, I was rooming with 'Tilda until I got somewhere in life.

The path started to get steeper, the rocks more frequent, and the river closer in view. Its waters were above normal level, like it was about to flood. Probably another reason why Gemma didn't want me out here. One second you were ankle deep, and then... you were gone. Swept away, drowned, even if you were a strong swimmer.

That was Aussie. You could have a flashflood in Queensland, and a murderous bushfire in Victoria at the exact same time.

I heard a screeching sound of a hundred bats as they flew overhead. That meant it was about to finally get dark.

"Tui!" Ben called out from the top of the hill behind me. I rolled my eyes so hard they hurt and continued walking. Dog raced back to check I was still there and then darted back to the river.

"You shouldn't let Dog get so close." He panted, catching up to me. His blond hair flopping over his tanned face, as he flashed me a dazzling smile. He was a pure blooded aussie surfer. He must have run all the way down from the house.

"She'll be fine. I never have and probably never will see a croc down there." I said, looking down at my dust-stained feet in dusk light. I didn't want to talk to him. One minute he was honey and then the next he was metal. Sometimes he was both.

"I have." He said conversationally. "They sneak up on you"

"I wish you would stop sneakin' up on me." I muttered, sighing to cover it. Of course he heard.

"I'm sorry, I just needed to catch up on my homework and Leon wouldn't stop fighting with 'Tilda and you were the closest thing I could have a go at. I was just a little wound up this arvo (1)."

"Yeah, I get it Ben, You go to fucking school; I don't. You do more work than me. You can surf and I can't. Your life is the shit. And you still can't be happy."

"Tui-" He grabbed my arm, but I was faster. You didn't grow up in south Auckland without learning something. I reached the edge of the river and felt like dipping my toes in. Maybe there really was a croc under the water, and it would pull me in. Dog nuzzled my hand affectionately.

"Tui..."

"What?" I snapped.

"Come back inside. We'll go to the beach tomorrow. Nothing to worry about."

"We'll go to the beach and everything will just be sweet?" I asked disbelievingly, shaking my head.

"Yeah. What’s to stop it?"

I thought about it. Maybe I was just being stupid. So Ben had a go at me before, and I had no idea what to do with my life. It was peaceful out here, and it was affecting my mood like a pill.

"I guess..." I sighed defeated by Bens smooth talking. He knew how to work me. And I was just making a big deal in my head over nothing.

Australians. I hated the lot of them.

"Good girl." He grinned. Dog dipped her nose into the water, creating a dark ripple. Ben whistled loudly and her head perked up. He was a farm boy, and dog, along with all other animals, seemed to respond to him instinctively. "Oi, Dog! Get up here!"

Dog seemed overjoyed to see her true master, and raced over to us, tongue flying out the side of her mouth.

"Dog loves me." Ben said. "See?"

Dog was indeed sitting on his feet as if she didn't want him to leave.

"That’s nice of her." I commented, half smiling. He laughed and kissed me on the cheek. Ben knew he was forgiven.

Oh Tui, she is so close to my heart already. For once I actually know what I'm talking about in temrs of geography. I have no fucking idea where california is on a map, but South Auckland and Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast are ingrained into my brain. Good times.

(1) Arvo - afternoon. Dragonfriend said he didn't understand the slang, and I thought a lot of others wouldn't too, so If you have any trouble understanding, just ask.

I havn't updated in a while. Tell me, have I lost it? Are you guys still reading? And are people having trouble with how Tui's name sounds? If you say it wrong, it might sound retarded.