One shot that I needed to get out of my head...so here it is...
The night had always been his favorite time of the day. He could hide in it, it would shield him from view, he felt as if the night and him were one. He was always picked on or beaten up by the other kids because he didn't fit in. He hate going to school, he hated his life, he hated everyone around him. He jumped onto the roof of a building and then sighed looking out at his home. Jump City. He loved the city, a jewel amongst normal rocks, but the inhabitants were anything but. He sat down, pulling his cloak over him to shield him from view, or at least his face. He didn't realize that the alarms had gone off thinking he was an intruder. He felt silent tears go down his face and next thing he knew, he'd been struck in the back and fell off the building, hitting the roof just under it.
"Most of the time, thieves like to leave the scene of the crime," said Robin.
He looked up at the masked Hero and saw the rest of his team standing beside him, glaring.
"Umm," he said. "Thief?"
"You were stealing," said Starfire. "The alarms of distress went off here, and they notified us."
"So what did you take?" asked Beast Boy.
"Cause whatever it is, we're going to get it back," said Cyborg.
"You ready?" asked Raven.
"Titans Go!"
They all scrambled after him. He yelped and got up running away. Now he had even more enemies to deal with. He jumped onto another roof and twisted his ankle. He fell in pain and felt the tears come down again. He couldn't handle this anymore, it was too much. He heard the sound of the titans behind him and knew he was in for it. He didn't realize just how scared he was, he didn't even feel the horrible shaking he was doing. Robin looked at the kid in front of him, shaking like mad. He was terrified of them.
"Hey kid," said Cyborg. 'We're not going to kill you. Why you so scared?"
"Yeah," said Beast Boy, kneeling beside him.
Starfire landed and knelt down in front of him, looking into his eyes.
"We are not going to hurt you," she said. "Why do you fear us?"
"You didn't actually steal did you?' asked Robin.
He shook his head no. Robin sighed in frustration. They just chased an innocent kid across the roofs, and made him hurt himself, for nothing. Raven looked at him and said,
"I can heal that for you."
"No," he whispered. "I'll do it myself. I do everything else for myself."
With that he pushed himself up and started limping away. Starfire looked back to Robin, who looked concerned for the kid. He nodded at Star and she flew off after him.
"Excuse me," she said.
He turned and looked at her.
"Please, we wish to help. We merely thought you were a criminal."
"I don't want help," he said. "I haven't had help for a long time. I'll do this on my own…just like everything else."
He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up at Robin.
"I'm not letting you go anywhere," he said. "You seem upset, depressed, alone and hurt. Let us help you."
He didn't have much choice now as Cyborg lifted him up and took him to the T-Car. He didn't know what to do or say, no one ever offered to help him out like this.
"So what's your name?" asked robin, who was now wrapping a cast type thing around the kids' ankle.
"…I…I'd rather not."
"It's ok," he said. "I'd be reluctant to if I had been attacked by me."
"It's not that," he said. "I'm…never mind."
Robin shrugged and finished up on his ankle. Robin told him to sit and stay and then walked out with the other Titans.
"He's young," said Robin. "Very young."
"How do you know?" asked Cyborg.
"His voice, the size of his feet," he said. "I'd guess at maybe nine, eleven max."
"Why was he outside at a time like this, when he is so young?" asked Starfire. "Does he not know that villains could hurt him?"
"I don't know, I couldn't get a straight answer out of him," said Robin.
"I'll try," said Raven.
They looked at her, knowing she wasn't the greatest when it came to kids, but he seemed so similar to her that maybe she was the best person for the job.
"Ok Raven," said Robin.
Raven walked into the med lab and saw the kid looking around. She sighed and sat down on a chair.
"So kid," she said. "Wanna talk?"
"Not really," he answered. "I…don't like talking."
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"You know, you seem a lot like me when I was younger," she said. "What's your name?"
"…I don't want to say it."
"Why not?"
"Because…I've only ever…never mind."
She got up and looked at the kid, unable to see his face through the hood. She closed her eyes and sent her soul self into the boy. She saw everything that had happened to him, the torment, the pain, the teasing the beatings, the death of his parents, the image of his sister dead, his older brother shot, him being picked on for his name. She left it and screamed. Robin rushed in and was at her side instantly.
"Raven, are you ok?"
"I am," she answered. "But he isn't."
The kid looked confused, what just happened. Raven grabbed Robin and pulled him out of the med lab to talk to him.
"Robin that boy has been through all of this."
She sent all the images into Robin's head and when finished Robin looked like he had seen his own parents plunge to their death at least seven times already. The kid walked out and saw them looking at him.
"Ummm," he said. "I guess I'll just go."
He went to leave when once again, Robin stopped him. He looked back at the guy and sighed.
"What now?"
"Let us help you," said Raven kneeling down and puling his hood down.
He gasped as his face as revealed. So did Robin and Raven, staring at them was a seven-year-old boy. His dark black hair was long and shoulder length, living on your own at that age, you really don't know how to cut your own hair yet. His eyes were a very dark forest green that suited him just right. He looked so small. Cyborg kneeled down to the kid and looked into is eyes.
"What's your name?"
"……"
"His name is Fernier." (pronounced Fern-Yeay)
He looked away, knowing they would laugh at him, but he heard nothing. He looked up at them again and said,
"What are you waiting for? Laugh at me already, everyone else does."
"Why?" asked Robin. "It's a nice name."
"Really?"
"Yeah, sounds like you like the forest. It reflects your eyes."
He never heard someone compliment him like that, it felt…nice. He looked down again and said,
"It doesn't ,matter though. I'm just going to get picked on tomorrow."
Robin knelt down in front of him and said,
"No one will pick on you. I'll personally take you to school tomorrow."
"Really…you'd do that for me?"
"Sure. You're so young, I'll put an end to all the torment you've been through."
He smiled and hugged Robin. Robin was taken aback by this but hugged him back. Raven smiled and said,
"Ok, we'll get you a room for tonight."
"You're…you're going to let me stay?"
"Of course," said Starfire. "We won't let you go back out there again."
He smiled and followed Cyborg down the hall and to a room. It was huge, complete with a bed, dresser, mirror and a private bathroom.
"This…it's all…for me?"
"Yep," said Cyborg. "If you need anything at all, my room is right next door. Robin's is on the other end over there, Star's is beside mine, and Raven's is beside Robin's."
"What about…"
"You'll never wake him up. So no point in going to Beast Boy for anything during the night."
He nodded and walked in. Cyborg smiled and walked away. Fernier couldn't help it, he jumped onto the bed and laughed. He felt so happy. He fell down onto the bed and felt how comfortable it was. He got under the sheets and comforter and instantly fell asleep. Robin had been watching from the door, and smiled. He had to give the kid credit he was cute. He closed the door silently and walked back to the kitchen with the rest of the team.
"So Robin," said Cyborg. "Why the sudden attachment to the kid?"
"I don't know," he answered. "Something just…clicked I guess. Like somehow he…belongs to me."
"He's not the only one," said Raven. "I felt it to."
"I don't know what it is but he will be welcomed here for as long as he wants," said Robin.
"Agreed," said Starfire. "Fernier is so cute…I wonder why people are so mean to him."
"I don't know…but he's so young and knows so much more than a lot of people older than him," said Beast Boy. "I hope he grows up ok."
"Why wouldn't he?" asked Cyborg.
"Well this could have a dramatic effect on his life and the way he thinks," said Raven. "He could become another criminal."
"Maybe…? Nah never mind. I'm off to bed," said Robin, walking away.
"Me to," said Starfire. "I am feeling tired."
"I'm going to sleep as well," aid Cyborg. "My system needs to recharge."
"I'll be there in a sec," said Beast Boy. "Just going to turn the Gamestation off."
"I'll go to bed later," said Raven. "I'm not tired yet."
They all nodded and walked away. After twenty minutes she smiled and got herself some herbal tea. She was thinking to herself.
"Why do I feel like this about Fernier? Does he have something to do with me?"
She sighed and sat down. She was confused, why did she feel like this about someone she didn't even know. Her thoughts went to Robin and how he felt towards Fernier. Did Robin have these feelings as strongly as she did? She heard the door open and looked over to see Fernier standing there.
"What's wrong?" she asked gently.
"It's…so dark."
"You want a night light?"
"Yes."
She got up and looked through the closet for the one they had bought Beast Boy. After his experience with her dark energy he need one, fearing the dark. She couldn't blame him, eventually he didn't need it anymore and had gotten use to he energy. She found it and pulled it out.
"Here I'll go plug it in for you."
"Ok."
She took his hand and walked him back to his room. Robin had heard someone come down the hall and opened the door to see Raven walking Fernier back to his room and what looked like BB's night light in her hands. He smirked, and shut the door again.
"How did you sleep outside all this time?" she asked.
"The street lamps acted as my night light," he said. "So it wasn't to scary for me."
"I see. Well here you go."
She plugged the light into his room and put him back into bed. He smiled and closed his eyes. She walked out again and closed his door. She turned to go back to the kitchen only to come face to face with Robin.
"Robin!" she said, jumping slightly. "Don't do that."
"Sorry Raven," he said. "So, he was scared of the dark?"
"Yes," she said. "He used the street lamps before so he wasn't in total darkness."
"Poor kid," he said.
He then looked at Raven oddly, to which she raised and eyebrow at.
"What?"
"I never took you for the motherly type."
"I don't know what it is. I just…feel connected to him."
"I do to…I don't know why."
Raven looked at him and thought. Robin looked a lot like this kid, she even saw some of herself in him but…how was she connected to him. Robin looked at her and said,
"Raven? You feel like he's your son don't you?"
"Yes I do…but he can't be. I've never…and you've never…at least with me that is…"
"Hey…I haven't done it…yet."
"…"
"I feel the same way about him…like he's my own kid, my son, but it's impossible."
"You don't think he's from the future…do you think the parents we saw die were…us?"
He shuddered at the thought, if it was true he had just left his young son alone to the world. No one to care for him, no one to love him. He looked at Raven and said,
"You said he had an older brother and sister?"
"Yes, but they killed themselves…after the parents died."
He looked down at the ground…could he be from the future without realizing it? With out realizing the people who loved him and cared for him were right there in front of him.
"Raven…what do you think? Do you think we're his parents?"
"I do, but…I don't know what to do now."
"We should do what parents would do…take care of him."
Unbeknownst to them Fernier was listening right outside the door. He felt the tears come down again, damn his stupid powers. He knew they weren't his parents…they died a long time ago. He opened the door again and fled out of it crying. Robin and Raven had seen him and took off after him. He got to the living room and fell down over the stairs. Robin picked him up and placed him on the couch.
"Why did you run like that?"
"You aren't my parents…I'm not from the future…it's my powers. When I feel even the slightest bit cared for by someone they feel like I'm theirs. Some connection is bonded to the person and me, and in the end they finally snap out of it and throw me out thinking I was trying to hurt them."
Robin smiled at him, inside he felt a sweep of relief cover him…but not because he knew this wasn't his son…because he knew that he wasn't the father who left his youngest child alone in the world.
"Ok so I'm not your father," said Robin. "I still feel a connection to you."
"Me to," said Raven.
Fernier smiled at them both and hugged them. What he didn't know was that he really was from the future, he had slipped into a time hole on accident and now was with both his mother and father before they even considered going out.
Fernier walked up to the doors of the school and suddenly heard the kids taunting him. He wanted to cry but he knew what the plan was. He walked down the steps again and walked up to the kids.
"You better leave me alone or my friend will get you."
"What friend? Your imaginary one?"
"No me."
They turned to see the one and only Robin behind them. They started stuttering as Robin glared down at them.
"You…your…you're…friends…with…with him?"
"Yes I am," he said. "And if I hear of you picking on him again, I will personally call each of your parents, or pay each of you a visit to inform your parents."
They didn't like that…everyone respected Robin. Actually a lot of the older kids wanted to be related to him but they weren't. To be friends with him was anything they could ever ask for. They nodded and ran off, leaving a very happy Fernier behind.
"Thank you Robin."
"No problem Fernier. Now go to school. Raven will pick you up after."
"I'm…I'm allowed to come back?"
"Of course. You can stay with the Titans for as long as you want."
He hugged Robin and ran off to his first class. Robin walked to his R-Cycle, hearing the stuff the mothers and fathers of the other kids were saying about him.
"He's a father already?"
"He's only 17."
"Probably some drunk night together. I wonder who the mother is?"
He turned and looked at them.
"I am not a father, I do not get drunk I don't even drink, and I have not gotten any woman pregnant. I would appreciate it if you would keep your comments to yourselves."
"If that's true then why does he look like you so much?"
"I…I don't know. The titans and I found him yesterday. Even if he was mine he's seven…which would make me ten when I had him. I don't think so."
They looked at him; that was true. The said sorry and watched him speed off. He was madder than ever at those comments. He saw a flash of light above him and two figures emerge. They took off over the roofs of the city, one wearing a black suit with a blue bird on it, the other was wearing a white cloak her long purple hair streaming behind her. He looked at them oddly…they looked a lot like him and Raven. He sped off to the tower under them and passed them. The man on the roof noticed and smirked...his younger self.
"RAVEN!" he shouted.
She fazed in front of him and looked at him ready to attack thinking he was in trouble. He looked at her and she looked back at him.
"What?"
"I think our future selves are here?"
"What? How is that possible?"
They heard knocking and suddenly two people stepped in. One was definitely Raven, the other had to be him.
"Robin," said the man.
"Raven," said the woman.
"Yes?" they answered.
"I'm sure my…younger self has already informed you of our arrival. I'm Nightwing, this is Raven. We're from the future."
"We figured as much," said Raven. "Why are you here?"
"Has anyone named Fernier been here?" asked Raven, hopefully.
"Yes, he's at school right now. I took him there," said Robin.
"Good," said Nightwing. "He found us as our younger selves."
"What is going on here?" asked Raven.
"Fernier is your son," said the older Raven. "He passed through our time line as well. Did you both feel a connection when you met him?"
"Not right away but I came as soon as we started tending to him. He hurt himself."
"It's because you're his parents."
"He told us…"
"It was his powers?"
"Yes."
"He said the same thing to us, but Raven knows how to go through time now…we went forward to check and found out that we are his parents. He doesn't realize that he's changing history as we speak."
"How is he changing it."
"Now you will be informed of your death, will you consider having kids now?"
"Or maybe they'll know it's coming and will be able to stop it this time," said older Raven. "It's up to you…well actually us to figure this out."
"How long till we have him?" asked Robin.
"From our time," said Nightwing. "Raven's pregnant with him right now actually."
Raven smiled a bit at the reaction on the younger Raven's face. She looked so shocked that she could probably die.
"But…he…he has…"
"John and Jennifer," said Nightwing. "Our other two kids."
"Whe…when do they come along?"
"John is first…I believe I was…eighteen when Raven gave birth to him."
"That's…that's next year!"
"Yes…but don't let this information change your minds…they are great kids. Jennifer is so sweet, John so protective. Please…when the instinct comes don't stop it or deny it…just go do it."
Robin and Raven looked at each other and sort of nodded at their older selves.
"Now…it's time to tell this to Fernier."
"One question…why did we name him Fernier?"
"When he came out, the plants in the room started covering him, protecting him from the hands of the doctors. Only we could go near him. We took the type of plant that was protecting him, a Fern and then added the last part ourselves because we were in France when he was born."
"Oh," said Robin. "I like the name."
They walked out and thenolder Raven teleported them to the school.
"Fernier, you are wanted at the principals office."
The kids all went, oooooo, as he got up and walked out. He walked into the office and found himself face to face with not one but two Robin's and Raven's. He recognized both of them. Robin, Raven, Nightwing and Raven.
"Umm," he said. "What's going on here?"
"Fernier," said older Raven hugging him close to her.
"Fernier," said Nightwing. "We have some news for you."
He nodded and listened.
"We know about your past, Raven and myself went to check it out…we're your parents."
He looked as if he'd been slapped in the face. This was impossible, his parents were dead.
"You…you can't be."
"We are," she said. "We know what happens in the future and we're planning on making sure it doesn't happen."
"But…but…"
Nightwing place his hands on Fernier's shoulder and said,
"I'm your father. Raven is pregnant with you right now."
Fernier looked into Nightwing's face and then hugged him crying.
"Daddy. Why'd you leave me like that. I've been so scared and alone."
"I know, I know," he said holding Fernier. "And we're going to have to leave you again."
"What? Why?"
"We have to return to our own time…if all goes well, when you get back we'll be there."
"How do I get back?"
Raven opened a portal and said,
"This is your time line. Go in…you'll see us again."
He walked forward and looked at the others. Robin walked up to him and hugged him.
"I'll see you when you get back…son."
He smiled and walked through. Raven closed the portal and opened another.
"Our time, let's go Nightwing."
"Wait," said Robin.
Nightwing looked at Robin and knew what he was going to ask.
"She goes home. To rule over her people. She tells us that she knew we were meant for each other."
With that he walked through the portal after Raven, and it closed.
Fernier walked along the streets on Jump City, looking around. He lived in the Tower but when he had gone there it had been abandoned, that was before he had gone through time…even if he hadn't known it. He looked over at the Tower to see lights on. He suddenly saw a red head woman flying in the air. He heard her shouting.
"Fernier, where are you."
He also saw Raven flying beside her calling his name. He heard the roar of a motorcycle behind him and saw Nightwing get off, looking furious.
"FERNIER!" he shouted.
"Dad," he cried running to him and hugging him. "You're alive."
Nightwing looked at Fernier like he was insane.
"Of course I'm alive…why wouldn't I be?"
"I did it…I changed history."
Raven and Starfire landed beside him, looking at Nightwing for an explanation. He shrugged and said,
"Um ok, so are you ok?"
"I'm fine, can we go home now?"
He nodded and Starfire took him back. Raven looked at Nightwing and he shrugged again.
"I honestly don't know what he's talking about."
"I do."
They turned to see Robin…very young Robin, holding Raven's hand. Nightwing almost died of shock, same with Raven.
"But…but your me?"
"It's called time travel. Fernier has been through time three times already. You died during his time and his brother and sister committed suicide leaving him on his own. He changed it by coming to our time and to the time when you were pregnant with him. He informed us…clearly we stopped whatever it was that killed us."
"We…we died?"
"Yes…but he's fine now…take care of him."
They nodded and watched Robin and Raven fade away They looked at each other and kissed.
"Well that was new."
"Yes it was, let's go home. I guess we have some making up to do with Fernier."
"Do you know how worried mom and dad were?" asked John, glaring at Fernier.
"Mom was goin hysterical," said Jennifer. "You're lucky they haven't flayed your butt yet."
"But..but I…" said Fernier.
His twenty year old brother John and his sixteen year old sister Jennifer were alive as well. He hadn't hugged them yet, but he quickly changed that when he grabbed John's legs and cried into them.
"You're alive."
"Umm," said John.
Jennifer kneeled down to him and pried him off of John.
"Fernier what are you talking about?"
"He's been through a lot," said Nightwing from the door.
"Dad!"
"Yes Fernier I'm still here," he said.
"What are you talking about?"
"He's been through time three times,' said Raven. "During his time before he went back, all of us died, well your father and I were killed…you two killed yourselves, leaving him to fight for himself."
They looked at each other in shock, no way would they do that.
"So he hasn't seen us for at least a year…now we're back."
"Umm dad why are you still hugging me?" asked Fernier.
"Because you were crying?"
"I was…over what?"
"That…we had died?"
"You did? No don't die on me."
He looked at Raven. She looked at Nightwing and then her other kids. Jennifer looked at Nightwing and said,
"I think he might have forgotten the whole thing…maybe because he changed time, time finally caught up to him, filling in the gaps he had."
That made sense. He let go of Fernier and watched him run out to play with Cyborg and Beast Boy…umm Changeling. He shrugged and walked out with Raven, leaving John and Jennifer alone.
"Would we ever actually do that?" she asked. "Leave him so alone in the world."
"I don't know," he answered. "But not anymore."
They smiled and walked out, not noticing the picture of their parents change, to include all of their children.
Ok so one shot needed to leave my head. I hope you enjoy. Please R&R and I'll hopefully have another chapter of True love up by tomorrow maybe the latest will be Friday.
