Disclaimer: i do not own the Teen Titans or any charactor associated with them past or present. i do own the children and plots, blah, blah, blah...
Harper Household
"STAY OUT OF MY LIFE, LIBO!" The door slammed.
Kori listened for the next door to slam. "Three… two… one…"
SLAM-
"And now Quara in three… two… one…"
"Mother, Nova and Libo are fighting again."
Kori sigh. "Yes, dear. I can hear them very clearly." She called back. "But unless you want to make dinner, I do not have time to deal with the bickering."
"Ok." She heard Quara call back.
Kori sighed again.
The front door opened and closed. There were footsteps that ran up the stairs and another door slammed. If there is music, then I have another distraught teen. Sure enough the music came.
"Mommy. Mommy. Mommy." A young girl's sing song voice came in the kitchen.
Kori turned around to see the small girl round the corner with her bear clutched to her chest as usual. Her black hair was in a high ponytail on the top of her head. Her green eyes danced with excitement.
"Good evening, my beautiful child." Kori greeted, cheerfully.
"Can I help with the cooking of dinner?" Taylor asked joyfully.
"That would be wonderful, Lor. Pull up a chair and you may butter the bread."
Taylor (Lor) did just that. She placed her bear in the chair and slid it to the counter where the homemade loaf of bread sat next to a container of butter and a plastic knife.
The front door opened and closed again.
"Kori, are you busy?" A man's voice called from the front of the house.
"Only making dinner for seven." She answered.
Roy walked into the kitchen. His red hair glowed from the light and his dark brown eyes glistened.
"What's the matter tonight?" He asked annoyed.
"The usual. We have three teenagers all in a mood. The mother hen is keeping me well informed. And you ask if I am busy." She turned to face him with a wooden spoon covered with sauce in hand. "Am I not always busy?"
Roy frowned at his wife. "Seems you're in a mood, too, dear. But it's still nice to see you."
Kori caught the sarcasm in his voice. She huffed. "Yes, Roy. And my day was great. Thank you for asking." She turned back to her cooking.
Roy rolled his eyes before turning in the direction of the stairs. "Libo. Nova. Quara. Owen." He called.
Quara made it there first. Her long strawberry blonde hair flew around her as she hopped into the kitchen. Her eyes were the darkest shade of hunter green. The other three shortly joined her.
"Owen and Quara set the table. And although I'm not sure I want to hear, what's wrong with the two of you tonight?"
Nova and Libo stood next to one and other just inside the doorway. They were a mirror image of the other. Both have red hair and green eyes. They are twins of course. Libo's hair is around two inches in length and stands out in all directions as if he just got out of bed. Nova's was long and currently in two braids on the side of her head.
"He wont stop telling his stupid friends that I have a crush on them. And he wont stay way from mine either. He always listens in on my phone calls and he wont stay out of my room."
"They're my friends too." Libo shot back.
"They don't even like you. You just hang around anyways." She snarled.
"Yes they do. You're just being a spoiled brat and have to get your way."
"That's enough. Libo, stay away from your sister at school. If she's talking to a group then you can wait to talk to any of them until later. Respect her privacy. That means stay off the phone when she's on it and out of her room unless she gives you permission to enter. Stay away from each other if you can't get along. Understand?"
Both stood there watching their father looking extremely put out. They nodded. They knew better than to argue.
"Good. Now go sit down and wait for dinner. Owen, you're up."
The oldest of the children walked in front of his father.
"Care to tell your mother what that meeting was about today?"
Owen said nothing.
"Go ahead, Owen. Tell her. I'm sure she'll be extremely proud of you as am I."
Roy pushed.
"I skipped a class."
Kori didn't turn from the stove.
"Yes. But that's not the best part. What were you doing while skipping?" Roy forced. His voice was provocative and stern.
Hearing this, Kori turned and faced the two. "You were not drinking or smoking, were you?"
"No, mom." Owen's voice was quiet.
Kori nodded
"Would you like to know what your son was doing, Kori?"
"Our son."
"What?" Roy turned to face his quiet wife.
"He is our son." She repeated, calmly.
"Fine. Our son." Roy turned back to Owen. "Wouldn't you like to tell her yourself, Owen?"
Kori watched as Owen glanced to her and then looked to his feet. He wouldn't meet her eye.
"Alright, then. I'll tell her. He was getting some girl pregnant under the bleachers on the football field."
Kori's mouth fell open slightly before she caught herself and closed it.
"I didn't have sex with her." Owen said only just above a whisper.
"No, but you came pretty damn close, didn't you? And you would have if you hadn't been caught, right?"
Owen said nothing. His eyes stayed down.
"What's wrong with you, Owen? Why don't you think things through? If you get her pregnant, then that falls back on your mother and I. You're 15. Too young. Therefore it would become our responsibility." Roy paused here. Kori could here the stress in his voice. She cringed at the way he talked to Owen. Demeaning. Hurtful. She hated it when he raised his voice at them. But he wasn't doing it out of anger right now. It was out of humiliation. Having to be told what your son was doing by the principle was very hard on anyone. "You'd be a father, Owen. Do you not understand?"
Owen still didn't move and said nothing.
"Aren't you going to say anything to your son Kori?" Roy had turned to face her. He was pleading now instead of asking out of rage.
"Our son." She said in the same tone she always used.
"Yes. Our son. I know. So say something to 'our son.'"
"Not now." She answered quickly and quietly.
"And why not?" Roy barked, now seething.
"Because this is not a discussion that our other children need to witness."
Libo, Nova and Quara were sitting at the table trying not to watch or listen to what their parents and Owen were involved in. Taylor had finished buttering the bread and had curled up in the chair with her bear to her chest once again.
For a minute nobody moved or said anything. "Fine." Roy said in a would-be-calm voice. "Have a seat for dinner, Owen."
He did as he was told.
They ate in silence. Even Taylor, who was too young to understand what was going on, didn't say anything.
When they were finished eating, again they sat in silence waiting to be excused from the table.
"Libo and Nova, you can do the dishes." Kori said to them.
"I'll do them on my own." Nova said, standing. She didn't speak in a rude or disrespectful manor. They all knew better than to speak that way to their mother. Father wouldn't have it.
"Libo can help you." Roy instructed.
"If she wants to do them on her own, that is fine. Just as long as they get done and done right."
Roy watched Kori for a minute. Everyone else stood motionless, including Nova with a plate in her hand. The children always sat in discomfort while their parents were in disagreement.
Father was the voice in the house. What he says goes. But mother makes the decisions that father voices.
"Fine." Roy got to his feet and stormed out. Down the hall they heard a door slam.
"That is why my children slam doors when they are mad." Kori stated more to herself than to anyone in particular. "The rest of you are excused once you take care of your plates."
The four remaining got to their feet. Nova had already moved to the sink.
"May I watch a movie in the family room, mommy?" Taylor chirped.
"After you wash, then you may."
Taylor skipped out. Owen, Libo and Quara fallowed suit. Owen with his head hung, Libo irritated and Quara looking very uncomfortable. Kori sat in her chair a few minutes longer. Finally, she sighed and got to her feet ready to leave the kitchen as well.
"Mother."
Kori turned to face Nova.
"Are you and dad ok?"
Kori tilted her head. "Your father is just upset. He will be fine. As will I. Things are just stressful."
"Yea, but you two are fighting a lot lately. You aren't going to get a divorce, are you?"
Kori could see the tears form in her daughter's eyes. She walked over to her and wrapped her arms around Nova's shoulders. "No, we are not getting a divorce. Things are chaotic right now. We will be fine. Do not fret my dear." She kissed Nova's head.
Nova nodded.
Kori made her way to the second floor and knocked on the second door to her right at the top of the stairs. She heard the music turn off. The door opened momentarily after to reveal her eldest son. His red/brown hair was cut short. His brown eyes went right to the floor when he saw his mother standing on the opposite side of the door.
"May I come in?"
Owen moved to the side to allow his mother entrance, he shut the door and stood there.
"I like what you have done to your room. It seems all my children have chosen this style of decorating."
"Not Quara. Her room is spotless." He said faintly.
"Yes, you are correct. One is always different than the group." Kori walked around the room briefly before stopping at the dresser. She removed a picture from the contents on the top. "Girlfriend?"
Owen looked. "That's Bethany."
Kori looked closer until she recognized the face. "Oh, right. I have not seen her in a while. How is she?"
Owen frowned. He hated it when his mother did this. Avoided what she really came to him for. She always forced him to start the conversation he was dreading to have with her. "That's not why you came up here, mom."
"Oh? So why then?"
"You want to know what happened today?"
Kori set the picture back down and faced him. "Are you going to tell me?"
Owen stayed silent and shook his head.
"Why not?"
"I don't want you upset with me." His voice was barely audible.
Kori didn't speak right away. "I'm not upset, Owen. Just tell me what happened."
"I cant." He said hesitantly.
"Why?"
"This isn't something you talk to with your mother."
Kori nodded. "No matter. I think I get the idea, anyways."
Owen heard the disappointment in her voice and it tore at him. "I'm sorry." He whispered.
"For what? What you did?"
"No. For disappointing you."
Kori studied him. His head was still hung like it had been from the moment he saw her. "Owen. Look at me."
Reluctantly, he did. "I am only disappointed because I know you have better judgment than that. What would you do if you did get her pregnant? Then what?"
Again Owen hung his head. He hated the way he always felt so horrible when he did something wrong when he had to face his mother. His father would be mad, he knew. That he could deal with. It just went right over his head. But his mother, her disapproval, her disappointment: that was torture. He wanted to drop to his knees and beg for her forgiveness. He fought that urge.
"I don't know." He whispered.
"I do not want to hear that. You are old enough to make your own decisions so I am not going to preach to you about right or wrong. And though I do not approve of your actions, I know I cannot stop you. I would, however, like to know you are responsible. I would have at least liked to hear you say you would not have gotten her pregnant because you would have used protection. I do not want to hear 'I don't know.'" Kori's voice stayed calm and rational the entire time. She always swore never to raise her voice to her children unless absolutely necessary.
Owen nodded.
"Your father is expecting a punishment for your skipping class. What do you think is fair?"
"You should decide."
"Ok. Two weeks of groundation. The terms are: no phone, no computer and no friends. Sound fair?"
He nodded.
Kori made her way to the door and stopped to look at him. "Who is she?"
Owen looked to see whom her mother was talking about and found she was looking at him. "Who is who?"
"The girl."
"Oh." Owen's face was colored with red. "Bethany."
"Ah… the best friend." She opened the door. "I would be careful with that if I were you. That is your most sacred relationship."
After leaving Owen, Kori made her way to her own room. Nova's concern was eating at her.
Roy was sitting in a chair watching the television.
She sat on the bed and faced him. "Roy, I think we need to talk about something."
Roy turned off the TV with the remote in his hand and faced his wife. No doubt this was about Owen.
"It has come to my attention that our children are concerned about our relationship."
Roy narrowed his eyes. "What about it?"
"I suppose… because of our disagreeing, they think we may be headed for a divorce."
Roy's eyes widened. "And what did you say?"
"I said we are not." She said quietly.
"You don't sound so sure."
Kori said nothing.
Roy moved to his knees in front of Kori. He took her hands in his. "So, we argue. It's not a big deal. We don't have to agree on everything. No relationship is that easy or perfect."
Kori nodded but still sat silent.
"What do you want me to do?" He pleaded. "I don't ever want to lose you. I love you, Kori. You and our family. Tell me what I have to do to make you happy again. I want to make this better."
She looked into his big brown eyes and smiled. She leaned in and kissed him. "I just wanted a reassurance without having to ask. I love you, too."