Getting this up earlier than I planned, but hey, it's about bloody time.
I know it's been done a million times, but I've never tried it before, the plotline is the same as Cinderella (more so off the Grimm Brother's version, i.e. the one that is less known). But although everyone will know the main plot, there are other sub-plot and deeper issues that I put through in this story, so please don't be turned off by the fact that it's based off Cinderella.
Pairings will be obvious, so I won't tell you.
Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans or Cinderella
Sunday Afternoon (And So It Begins)
Kori
Family. You live with them. You grow up with them. Every family is different. Every family has its issues. Single parent families, foster families, extended families. They all have their own problems, their own skeletons in the closet; secrets hidden from each other, but that shouldn't matter, right? They're still your family, however much you don't get along. Family, parents, siblings, they all stick together; they all care for each other, right?
Not exactly.
Kori Tam'ran's uncle picked up his briefcase from the bench and pecked her on the cheek. "Sorry I have to leave honey, but someone's got to keep this business on track." He looked Kori and her older sister, Mandy. "Don't forget school term starts tomorrow, will you two be alright to get there in the morning?"
"We'll be fine Galvin," Mandy spat, "We're not babies." She looked at Kori. "I'm not at least," she muttered. Kori looked at her sister sorrowfully as Galvin walked towards the door.
"I should be back on Wednesday night, but I'll give you a call. Look after each other, have fun at school." He walked out the door and the sisters heard his car pull out of the driveway and drive off.
Mandy stood up from her position on the couch and picked up her handbag. "Well, that's my cue to leave," she sighed and looked at Kori, "you know, you should really clean up the house," she said and pulled on a pair of boots at the door. "It's awfully untidy."
Kori sighed and looked down. It was starting. Since the car accident that had killed their parents and younger brother, Mandy had taken it upon herself to send Kori around as a servant, and their uncle Galvin was away for days at end, busy trying to keep the family business running to notice how serious the problem was. So whenever he was away, Kori became Mandy's personal slave.
"I'll be back later. Be a sweetie and make sure dinner's ready and hot for me by the time I'm home." She walked out the door and hopped into her car.
"Wait!" Kori followed her out the door. "I don't know what time you will be home!"
"Have fun little sister!" Mandy started the engine and sped off.
"I doubt that I will have much fun," Kori said softly as she walked back inside and faced the tasks ahead of her.
OoO
The sleek black car weaved in and out through the windy mountain roads. As it drove along, the forested area surrounding slowly started to melt away into a small town. It wasn't far into the town that the car passed a sign; Welcome to Jump. We are a tidy town; and Richard Grayson, sitting behind the wheel of the car, turned and grimaced to his sister Rachel.
Rachel however, was taking no notice; too busy glowering as the road ahead of them. Her long black hair fell over her face and her iPod blasted in her ears as Richard drove them through the town towards their new house.
The car turned off onto an older road, and moved along towards some large properties. It turned off again onto a long gravel driveway and soon pulled up in front of a huge, old farmhouse.
Richard and Rachel both looked up at the house as they sat in the car, neither of them willing to get out. Their adoptive father, Bruce Wayne, saw them arrive and walked over with a grin on his face.
"She's a beauty isn't she?" He commented as he leant against the car. Receiving no reply from the teens, he tried again. "You two excited?"
"Ecstatic," Rachel muttered, opening the car door and stepping out. Richard followed her lead and began hauling boxes out of the boot. Already, he preferred Gotham to this place.
Bruce walked off to help move things inside. As Richard looked on, he tried to figure out why one of the richest men in the world would want to pack up and move to rinky-dink town like this in the mountains. The nearest, proper, city was an hour away, and Gotham city, where they used to live, was eight long hours away.
He directed his attention to the farmhouse, and honestly, it looked like it was going to fall down any second. The red paint on the outside walls was peeling off, and the boards on the front porch needed a good oiling.
Richard leant over to Rachel, "When did they say this house was built again?" he asked, but got no answer. Rachel was ignoring him (well, actually, ignoring everyone), and he knew from experience that this meant she was pissed and should be left alone.
They started to take to boxes up to the front door, while the movers rushed around about them. Two guys carrying an old trunk came up and addressed the kids.
"Hey your dad told me that this trunk belong to you kids. Either of you want it in your rooms?" Richard stiffened and Rachel's eyes shot up as they answered at the same time.
"No!" They both replied quickly, and the man raised an eyebrow in confusion. Richard stepped in quickly. "Just, put it in the spare room," he said while Rachel rapidly moved away, "it'll be fine there." The movers nodded and carried the trunk inside.
The butler, Alfred, appeared at the front door and gestured for the kids to come inside. The inside of the house was the complete opposite of the outside, being sleek, modern and not at all, falling apart. Richard's jaw dropped, and even Rachel couldn't help raising her eyebrows a bit.
Alfred noticed their expressions and chuckled. "A bit different from what you expected, is it?"
"Just a bit," Richard mumbled as they walked further inside. Alfred chuckled again and began pointing out different sections of the house. "Kitchen, dining and living rooms, Bruce's office, spare bathroom and," he looked at Richard, "the gym, are all downstairs. Upstairs are all the bedrooms and two other bathrooms." He directed them upstairs and took them to their bedrooms, across from each other down one end of the hall.
"Hopefully," he said after, "you two will be able to find yourselves at home here. It's a change, but-"
"A big change," Rachel said softly, sitting on the hallway floor. Richard kicked her.
"But, Bruce really wants you two to be happy here, and free from all the stresses and problems," here he looked at Rachel, "you had in Gotham. So do you think you'll be able to adapt to the changes without too many troubles?"
"I think Bruce is the one who's going to find it hard to adapt here," Richard grinned. Rachel smirked and nodded.
"It won't be too long before he starts to miss the women of the city," she added in, and Alfred couldn't stop himself from laughing.
"Yes," he snickered, "but let's keep those thoughts between us, alright?" The teen nodded and he walked off, leaving them outside their rooms.
Richard's bedroom faced the front view of the house, while Rachel's faced the backyard. Just outside Rachel's window stood a large oak tree, which, if you sat on the windowsill, was easily reachable, and climbable.
To prove this fact, Richard opened her window and scaled down the tree, before climbing back up like a ninja and coming back in through the window. "You're not going to try and escape now, are you?" he grinned and Rachel rolled her eyes. They both walked into his room and looked out the window at the chaos going on down below.
Richard pointed out a brunette lady and a blonde teenage boy out the front talking to Bruce. When he asked who they were, Rachel raised an eyebrow at him.
"I've been here fifteen minutes. Do you really think I know?"
Richard ignored her comment and kept watching the conversation. "Bruce said that there was another rich couple on the next property. It might be them. Apparently they've also got a kid our age." He turned around to face Rachel but found that she had gotten bored of his aloud musing and left the room.
Shrugging, he walked downstairs and outside. Bruce motioned for him to come over and join. "Where's Rach?" he asked. Richard shrugged and Bruce frowned. "Don't tell me you've lost her already."
Richard scowled, "I didn't lose her, she just disappeared" his gaze moved to the two visitors, "like she always does."
Bruce shook his head, "Richard, this is Rita Dayton and her son Garfield. They live on the property next to us." The brunette lady smiled warmly and shook Richard's hand.
"It's nice to meet you," she said and Richard nodded. His eyes then moved to a boy slightly younger than him, with dishevelled blonde hair and sparkling green eyes. "Hey man," the boy said as he stuck out his hand, "I'm Gar."
"Rich." Bruce turned to Richard.
"The Dayton's have invited us over for a barbeque tonight." Gar perked up and nudged Richard. "We also have a nice healthy salad for the vegetarians in the house," he said, and from the expression on his face, Richard could easily tell that he was the vegetarian.
"So once we get this stuff inside and find your sister, we go over there," Bruce finished, and Rita and Gar began to make their way back to their car. "See ya later!" Gar yelled from the car as they drove off.
OoO
A few hours later (after the mess outside had been moved inside and Rachel had reappeared), Bruce, Alfred, Richard and Rachel walked over to the Dayton's property, since Bruce had decided it would be a good idea to go for a nice, leisurely walk and look at their surroundings (even though Rachel pointed out they would be seeing enough of it already). The Dayton mansion was very different to theirs; for one, it actually looked expensive on the outside, and just as nice inside.
The barbeque was out the back of the mansion. While the adults talked over the table, Gar talked to Richard, and Rachel continued being her unsociable self, listening to her iPod.
"So what years are you in?" he asked after Richard told him that they were going to the local high school.
"I'm a junior, Rachel's a sophomore," Richard replied, "and you're a…"
"Sophomore," he smiled over at Rachel, "I could show you around and help you make friends."
Rachel glanced up at him. Did he ever stop smiling? "I'll be fine without your help thanks." Gar's face fell for a moment, but then he shrugged. "The offer's always there," he said, grinning once again.
Richard looked from him to Steve and Rita, "So you're adopted, aren't you?" He guessed, and Gar nodded.
"Yep. Like you guys. My real parents were biologists in Africa, and that's where Rita found me," he shrugged, "I think a lot of rich people just like to adopt kids, you know." His eyes glazed over for a moment as he drifted in nostalgia. "But anyway, what do you want to know about Jump? This place is so tiny I know everything about it."
"What facilities are there here?" Richard asked, "We didn't see a lot when we drove in."
"Yeah, you have to go a bit further down that road before you're actually in town," Gar replied. "There's not a lot here though. The primary school, middle school and high school, the main supermarket and a couple of other shops. Rita has formal dress shop close to the supermarket. Other than those though, there's not a lot."
Rachel was now paying attention, leaning slightly forward in her seat. "Is there a book shop?" She asked Gar, who shook his head.
"Nope," he said, popping the 'p', "we don't even have a town library, only a library at our school." Rachel's gaze flitted over to Richard.
"I'm. In. Hell." She uttered, and Gar laughed.
"It might seem like that now, but soon you'll…" he trailed off as he realised that she had now gotten up and was talking to Bruce. Gar shot a questioning look towards Richard, who sighed.
"She likes her books," he told Gar, "but we had to get rid of a lot to move, and besides, she's read them all anyway." Gar moved his mouth in an 'O' shaped and nodded. Rachel shortly came back and picked up her phone and iPod.
"I'm going back," she announced to the boys. Gar smiled at her.
"I'll see you at school tomorrow," he said, grinning from ear to ear. Rachel glanced up at him before walking off. "Yeah, maybe," she muttered and Gar looked again at Richard.
"She…always like that?" Richard watched after his sister, frowning.
"Something happened not long before we heard we were moving," he explained. "She's just dealing with it, in her own way."
OoO
The clock flipped over to 11:54pm as Kori waited. She had to be coming home soon. They were going to school tomorrow, and Mandy wouldn't miss that. School was her kingdom. There was no way she would miss the first day of term.
Kori's thoughts were soon answered as she heard the sound of a car pulling up in the driveway. She quickly pressed the button on the microwave and reheated Mandy's dinner.
The said person stumbled through the door, swearing continually under her breath. She threw her handbag towards the couch, missing by a mile and then collapsed down on the couch herself (this, she did not miss however). The microwave soon beeped and Kori took the plate over to her intoxicated sister.
"There you are Mandy," Kori said politely, "I hope you enjoy it." Mandy just glared at the plate in her hands, before she exploded in drunken fury.
"What the fuck!" She yelled, throwing the plate off to the side. "What is this shit? I didn't want this!" Kori cowered where she was. "Get the fuck away from me you dirty thing! I don't want you here! Nobody wants you here! Mum and Dad didn't even fuckin want you!" And with that, she slapped the younger girl over the face, before slumping back down on the couch.
Seemingly calmer, she opened her eyes and her bloodshot orbs faced the red headed girl sobbing in front of her. "Clean that up," she ordered, "and then when you're done, I want some proper dinner. Not that disgusting pasta shit you made." Kori nodded.
"Yes," she whimpered.
"Yes, what?"
"Yes…ma'am."
"Good girl."
And worst thing about family, no matter what you want, no matter how much it hurts or how much you despise it, you have to be loyal to them.
Because they're family.
OoO
Yeah, it gets a bit intense in that last bit.
I can't write Bruce or Alfred well, so sorry if they're not what you hoped they'd be. And sorry to Cyborg fans too, I won't lie to you, he doesn't get a really big part in this story (he's in there, but sort of drowned out by everyone else)
Please review! It makes me happy!
