Silence of My Love

Disclaimer and Warning

THIS IS AN ADULT THEMED PARODY OF DC COMICS CHARACTERS!!!

This story contains sexually explicit material and situations between consenting adults. If you do not wish to read this type of literature, are under the age of 18, or it is illegal in your part of the world, PLEASE bypass this story for one more suited to you.

All the characters belong to DC Comics, a Time Warner Company. No Copyright infringement is intended. I just borrowed them so that they could have a sex life and to please some adoring fans out there. I have not received one red cent from writing this story and if you sue, all you'll get is two bad ass little girls. The only payment I wish is praise, criticism and some ideals for other stories.

This work is copyrighted to the author. If you wish to archive this story, please ask permission first. Nine times out of Ten, I'll say yes. Please do not remove without the author's permission or make any changes to this story. Thank you for your consideration.

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Thank You's and Dedications…

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For Rachel Ehrlich, The World's Biggest Jericho Fan and Grammar Bitch Extraordinaire!

Girlfriend, I know this story was late, but it's here at last! I hope you enjoy reading it, because I enjoyed writing it. Now you may pull it apart and tell me everything I did wrong!

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Quick Note: This story was centered on The New Titans #66-67. This is what I think should have happened after the Eric Forrester incident. This is as close to canon as I'm likely to get to cannon, so enjoy it!

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Explanations: Because Joseph is mute (no ability to verbally speak) I had to come up with a unique way for him to be heard. I used single-quotes to signify him speaking via American Sign Language and italics to indicate thoughts (for him and for others). I hope that helped.

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For those without a clue…

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Joseph Wilson (Jericho) is the youngest son of Slade (Deathstroke the Terminator) and Addie Wilson. Due to an Army experiment done on his father, Joseph was born a mutant able to enter and take over the bodies of whomever he makes eye contact with, controlling all their actions, even speaking with their voice if the victim is unconscious. Mute since 5 due to his father's unwillingness to compromise his client's security, which resulted in Joe being kidnapped and having his throat slit. His father bet his above-normal reflexes were faster than the man holding the knife on his son; he was wrong, and Joe suffered for Slade's misjudgment. Joseph is a highly trained martial artist and a potentially extremely dangerous man with the soul of a pacifist. Joe is an artist and musician by trade, and is known for his ability to get his point across better then anyone who can speak.

Raven of Azarath is the empathic daughter of Arella, an Earth woman, and an inter-dimensional demon named Trigon. Arella, lost and looking for love, joined a cult and was seduced by the worst evil imaginable. Pregnant with a demon's child, alone and at the end of her rope, she attempted suicide. That's when Azar found her and took her to Azarath, a hidden dimension of pacifists trained to battle the evil of Trigon. It was later disclosed that Raven was the only one of Trigon's 100 children to have survived to adulthood; the rest were either murdered by people fearing Trigon, or killed by their mothers, who then killed themselves. When Raven was born, Azar took her from Arella to be raised by Azar herself and trained to control the part of her nature that was her father's. Raven, along with the Azaratheans, was the only force in the universe capable of destroying Trigon. If Raven had fallen into his hands, his power would have been absolute. Cut off from all human emotion and contact with her mother, Raven trained so that one day, she could destroy the demon and free her own soul from his darkness. Raven is an empath, a healer with the ability to draw a person's pain and suffering into her own body and dispel it safely. She is able to move between dimensions, and is able to separate her body from her soul. The soul is referred to as her soulself and is a powerful extension of herself. It has all of Raven's abilities and more. Raven is the ultimate pacifist.

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Love is often silent…

Lower East '80s, New York City, New York. 3:08 AM.

The young woman lying in the middle of the queen-size bed was restless. After a long day of doing absolutely nothing, she had retired to her bed, expecting to sleep, but it was not to be. No matter how she tried, sweet bliss was denied her.

This was nothing new. Many things had been denied Raven of Azarath.

Sighing, she turned to her side and stared at the open doorway. Although she could not see him, she knew he was there, patiently waiting.

Waiting to sooth the nightmares that held her hostage in the night.

Waiting to offer comfort when there was none to be found.

Willing to hold her until the world righted itself around her.

Willing to listen should she speak.

If only it was that easy, the thought came unbidden to her mind. Nothing had ever come easily in her life; why should it start now? The bitter look that crossed the Empath's delicate features would have surprised those who knew her. She normally didn't express such emotions—any emotions, for that matter. Trained from birth to control her emotions lest she free her father, she had been denied a normal childhood, never allowed the freedom of feeling, living, loving, for fear she would unknowingly give her father the opportunity he was looking for to control her.

She felt surrounded by men wanting to use her.

Eric Forrester.

Every time she thought of the man, all the newfound emotions came swirling to the forefront, choking her with rage and hurt, feelings she was not equipped to handle or express. Nothing she did helped, and she tried everything she knew. Even trying to gain her inner peace through meditation didn't work. All she could do was agonize over it, and pray that Azar saw fit to gift her with wisdom—but the goddess was silent tonight, and every night for the past week.

She was on her own. Knowing that, what could she do? How could she express the emotions that relentlessly attacked her? How could she speak of all the spiritual turmoil she was experiencing? How could she explain the rage…the hurt she still felt? How could she put into mere words the very things she feared would consume her?

She couldn't. Expression had never been her strength; even now she could feel the raging emotions…swirling…twisting…fighting for control of her every thought. Trying to consume her in ways her father never could; destroying her, one painful memory at a time.

It had been a week since Eric's assault, and still it was no easier to think about.

One week.

One week since the police came to arrest Eric and found his burned out mechanical body instead.

One week since Karen Beecher and Sarah Charles came with various S.T.A.R. Labs personnel to take the remains away for examination and burial. Karen and Sarah took turns holding the shell-shocked empath, crying even as she cried, offering what comfort and support they could.

One week since the Titans had crowded into her small apartment and took over as only they could. The whole clean-up would have moved faster if S.T.A.R. and the police didn't have to work around seven additional people, but the Titans refused to budge, intent on being on-hand should she need them. Silently offering the unconditional love and support she had long associated with them. They wouldn't leave until someone volunteered to stay with her. Her protests that she was fine by herself were continuously ignored by Richard, who gave her a look that said he knew better. He was conversing with Joseph, and though she was in the wrong position to see what Joseph was signing, she did see Richard nod his head once before turning to the team and giving the signal to clear out. There were last minute hugs and kisses, which she accepted before they left. What else could she do? She was still in shock. When the door closed behind them, she realized that one had stayed. Getting up off the couch, Joseph walked over to her and signed, 'I will stay for as long as you need me.' And that was that.

One week since Joseph held her in the middle of her bedroom and let her cry for everything she had lost.

One damn week!

Trembling, she hugged her long arms around herself, as if to keep the unpleasant thoughts at bay. Once again, she felt the tears gathering in the corners of her eyes; tears that threatened to destroy her fragile peace. Tears she refused to release, for fear that once she started, she would never stop.

It was always the same; hurt followed by anger in an unrelenting cycle. After the need to cry passed, the crippling anger returned—more potent, more violent than before. Every time she thought of how foolish and naive she had been, how easy to trick, the rage threatened to consume her.

The hurt was much worse.

Eric Forrester. The man responsible for all her mental and emotional anguish. Her first taste of love, and such a bitter pill to swallow.

Betrayer.

No longer willing to encourage such thoughts, she sat up in the middle of her queen-size bed, one of the two things she didn't handpick for her Broadway apartment herself. That job had been entrusted to Koriand'r. Raven had classes that ended late in the afternoon and was not able to catch the store before it closed, but she was impatient to move in right away. Kory had volunteered to handle her bed crisis, promising she would take care of delivery and set up so that Raven would be able to come right home and fall to sleep if she so desired.

Thinking it was a sound solution, Raven handed over her keys and credit card and told the Tamaranean what she wanted, asking if she would see to the guest room as well if it wasn't too much of a bother. From the way Koriand'r smiled and pushed her out the door, she knew it wasn't. Thanking her, Raven headed off to class.

When she got home, she found the keys in her mailbox and headed up to her apartment. When she got inside, she rushed to her bedroom and hit the light switch. It was there, already set up and fitted with sheets and comforter, ready for an occupant—a beautiful, queen-sized bed. What would she do with so much space? She headed for the guest room and took a peek inside. Same thing—a queen-sized bed, set up and ready. Hesitantly, she picked up the phone and called Koriand'r to ask her what happened.

"What do you mean, 'what happened?' Don't you like it?" came the voice on the other end of the receiver.

Twisting the telephone cord around her finger, Raven looked at the bed. "I love it, Koriand'r, but…"

"But what?"

Biting her lip, she asked, "How can I afford it? It looks like an expensive set, in both rooms, and so…large. What would I do with so much room?"

The husky sounds of laughter carried though the telephone receiver. "It is an expensive set, one of the best made on this planet."

"But—"

"Stop worrying, Raven. I didn't spend a penny more then you asked, so your credit is fine."

"Then how did you—"

Once more laughter echoed through the phone. "How did I—or rather, you—afford the sets? I love to shop, so I know the best places to go. The Outlet on 5^th was having a going-out-of-business sale. It had just started that day, so there was plenty of selection. After shopping around a while, I saw I could get you two queen-sized sets for the price of the two full-size sets you wanted. After I saw name of the company that made them, I snatched them up—at that price, they were a steal! I picked up a set for myself, but mine is king-sized; I need the extra room," she said, giggling at the reason she would need the room.

Blushing at the thought of Koriand'r and Richard rolling around in the bed, Raven quickly got back on subject, which was her bed. "But…it is too much room! What am I to do with a bed so large? I will get lost!"

"Raven…was that a joke?? X'hal! There's hope for you yet!"

"Koriand'r—"

"Don't you 'Koriand'r' me. One day you may meet a man who you feel deeply enough for and invite him into that very bed. Trust me, you'll be really grateful for the extra room if the man is talented with his love play. A king or queen-sized bed just screams exploration!"

"KORIAND'R!"

Chuckling at her friend's shocked tone, she teased her again. "You can't win this one, and you can't return the mattresses, so say, 'Thanks, Koriand'r' and then go fall on your new bed."

Realizing that the war was well and truly over, she gave the appropriate response. "Thank you, Koriand'r, I love my new beds, and now I am going to sleep."

"Good girl! You're welcome. Let me know if there's something else you want me to do, and I'll see you at the meeting Thursday."

"I will…goodnight, Koriand'r."

"Night, Raven."

Which was how she had ended up with this queen-sized beast of a bed. Share it with someone special? She thought she'd found that special someone with Eric, but she was wrong—totally, horribly wrong. It would have been lovely to share this bed with someone, a lover, a beloved, but there was no one else. There was no one that she hadn't either totally ignored of read completely wrong. Wallace—she never returned his love, so he found someone who could. Richard—she mistook his concern and friendship for something much deeper. It only took a long heart to heart with Koriand'r to disabuse her of her illusions of love. She finally realized that she was not in love with Richard after all, but in love with the idea of being in love. After that, things had returned to normal between the trio.

And then there was Joseph. She felt her heart jump just thinking about him. After all this time, the man still had the power to move her, though she had long since given up on having any kind of relationship with him other then mere friendship. She honestly believed he was her first true love, but she was certain the only thing he felt for her was friendship, so she never pursued him. What would he want with her anyway, when he had beautiful women crawling out of every nook and cranny? Feeling she had nothing to offer, she had given up and fallen right into Eric's arms.

It had to be fate. Even after she started dating Eric, who was the first person she told? Joseph. And why was that? Secretly, beside wanting him to share her joy, she also wanted to see if Joseph was even a tiny bit jealous of Eric—because, though as she dated Eric, she thought of Joseph constantly.

Like she was now. And as always, she felt a familiar something stir to life within her chest. Unlike every other night that had passed before, tonight that something called to the restlessness within her.

Shifting, she drew her knees up and wrapped he slim arms around them. Laying her shiny ebon head against the headboard, eyes closed, she waited—for what, she didn't know. She felt that if she was quiet enough, if she concentrated hard enough, she could almost hear the silent voices of the night speaking to her.

Almost…

Raven…come to me.

Her eyes snapped open and she sat quietly in the bed, waiting to hear the soft command again.

I will be waiting…

In the quiet of the night she heard it beckon to her, begging her to comply. In the hidden recesses of her soul she felt it, draining away the anger and calming the tears that burned in her deep blue eyes. An unseen force was pulling her, but she didn't fear it. Rather, she was enticed by it, captivated. There was no denying the soft voice in her mind, nor did she wish to. She was hungry for more of the forbidden.

Teasing her.

Tempting her.

Tonight was a mystical night, a special night; this she knew, just as she knew that she would go, would obey the mental command willingly. To what, she knew not, but it didn't matter. Some things were pure instinct, and tonight, she trusted hers.

Leaving the soft confines of her bed, she stood silently in the moonlight, taking the time to admire its pale beauty. It was a full moon tonight and there were few things in the world more mystic then a full moon. Legend said it was accountable for humans' and animals' strange behavior. She had no idea how much truth was in such tales, but considering her own strange mood, it seemed as plausible as anything else she had heard. Bidding the sun's pale sister farewell, she pulled the sheet off the bed and wrapped it around her slight form and quit the master bedroom.

But the moon was reluctant to release its prize. As she moved, gentle moonbeams touched her, illuminating her pale, strikingly beautiful features while bathing her in iridescent light, from her silky black hair to her delicate bare feet that flashed from under her white silk nightgown. She never stopped to see how the moon portrayed her, for she was determined, purposeful; she walked across the plush carpeting, the pale white sheet trailing behind her like the train of a wedding dress as she navigated the dark hallways of her apartment.

Seeking.

Searching.

Whatever was guiding her tonight, she trusted, and wherever it led her, she was willing to go.

Oh, so very willing.

Close your eyes and see.

Slowly she lowered her lids, closing her 'natural' eyes and sought sight with her 'spiritual' eyes instead. When she was confident that she could walk without hitting the walls, she ventured forth, silently moving through the apartment like a wraith, listening for the quite, persistent voice that was guiding her, unbeknownst, to her destiny.

Enter. Your fate waits.

Gradually, she opened her cerulean blue eyes and looked. When she realized exactly where her unseen guide had led her, her eyes became wide with shock.

She was standing in front of the open doorway to the guest bedroom—the same room in which her silent protector and Titans teammate, Joe Wilson, slept.

Was Joseph in danger?

No.

Surprised by the prompt answer ringing silently through her head, she asked another question of herself. If he is not in danger, then why lead me to his room?

He will soothe the savage ache in your soul.

How?

Enter and see.

There really is no choice, she thought. :I must know what lies ahead. Taking a deep breath and releasing it, Raven tiptoed closer to the open doorway, trying to be as quiet as possible lest she disturb his rest. When she reached the open archway, she stepped forward and peeked inside. What she saw delighted her innocent eyes.

He was lying in the middle of the massive bed, fast asleep. Moonlight spilled through the windows, flooding the room in enough light to see clearly; she would have to have been blind to miss the fact that he was quite nude under the thin white sheet.

Quite deliciously nude.

Feeling lightheaded from the sheer beauty of the man, Raven leaned against the archway for support and let her eyes wander over him. Of all the ways she dreamed of seeing Joseph, this was her most vivid fantasy -- one she never dreamed there would be a chance of her seeing realized. It didn't matter. Reality was much better then anything she could have dreamed up. Seeing the evidence before her, she realized that all her fantasies had fallen far short, and she had never been more thankful in her life.

He was so beautiful to her -- like Narcissus, only without the fabled vanity. Even though he had more reason then most to brag, he never did, much like Koriand'r. Both were beautiful, and both totally unaware and unconcerned with how stunning they were.