"We are one big family of people, trying to make our way through the unfolding puzzle of life." – Sara Paddison
The sun dared to peak its rays above the horizon, the sky warming with pinks, yellows and oranges thanks to her arrival. The earth welcoming her with open arms as she provides another new beginning. No clouds to block her today.
The girl sat on the roof of her home of almost ten years. The sun's rays slapping against the midnight blue hood that covered her, sheltered her. Her pale legs crossed over each other in a meditation pose, wrists pointed towards the stars that still hid in the dark corners of the sky, soaking up the last few sights of the earth they had before the sun put them away for another night.
The girl's eyes were sealed, as if she were merely sleeping sitting down. You would think she was if it were not for the little twitches she gave way to once every five minutes or so. She breathed deeply.
In.
Out.
Deeper breath in.
Further one out.
Over and over again.
"Azarath. Mitrion. Zinthos."
A lilac eye peaked open when the sound of an opening door reached her ears.
"Morning, Dick." The eye closed once again. She had no need to see his face to know he was walking towards her; she could all but sense him the second he wondered onto the Tower's roof. She had a special bond with him ever since they were sixteen and now, ten years later, that bond had just expanded and grown into something truly special. Almost like an intertwining of their two minds, almost.
Now of course Raven had this type of bond with almost all those in the tower. She could sense the tension in their auras, when they were distant for serious reasons or in some cases their emotions would practically scream at her. She could always tell if you needed help with your head or your heart, without even looking at you.
But the bond she held with Nightwng was different. It was the first mental bond she held with anyone other than her mother and the first she had between another Titan and herself.
"Well good morning, darling." Nightwing lay himself down with a tired sigh beside her. His legs fully outstretched as he supported himself on his elbows, mask gazing up at the skies. "How long have you been up here? It's just sunrise now…"
"Been here since five, Gar kept rubbing up against me all night, I swear to Azar, he's like an animal in heat."
Nightwing gave deep chuckle, his hand coming up to run through his long, dark locks. His wedding ring glinting in the sun's light.
"Well did the name Beast Boy not give you any hints there, Rae? Heh, c'mon you two have been together for five years, married for three" Dick held up Raven's left hand to help illustrate. "You have to of gotten used to his… animalistic ways by now." He visibly cringed at the thought of his own words.
Raven and Beast Boy had started a long-over due relationship about a year or so after Tokyo. Long after Robin and Starfire's relationship began and a couple of months after Cyborg had created a lil' 'somethin' somethin' with Bumble Bee. Yeah, that was not unexpected at all.
But Rae and Gar had made the big step and had the first child live in the tower, little Alex. A gorgeous little baby boy and the first of the New Generation. Soon to be followed by Damian, Cy and Bee's little boy, another stunning addition to the clan.
"But maybe he wouldn't pester you so much if you actually gave him some now and again… "
"He gets plenty thank you very much." A blush touched her pale cheeks as she turned away. "Anymore and he'll start getting greedier than he already is." Raven began to get slightly angry she was even having this discussion. " And besides, what business is it of yours anyway?"
Dick shot his hands up defensively "Hey, I'm just trying to help you get your full few hours of sleep here! Can't you let your big bro help out?" Dick fluttered his eyes innocently while Raven just 'humphed' and stuck her nose up, a playful pout gracing her thin lips as she turned fully away from him, crossing her arms over her chest in the process.
Dick smiled cheekily to himself, he loved it when Raven played like this, let herself go and just relaxed. He snuck up behind her slowly. Leaning over into her ear he teased her some more about her sex life.
"Do I need to have a little chat with Gar about the birds and the bees?" His whispered voice was laced with hidden humour and mocking. "Let me practice, Ahem, Ok let's see here. When a man loves a woman very much he will confess that he loves her under a moonlit sky…" Dick began to add hand movements to add to the effect "…just after a delicious dinner for two, he will spoil her with chocolates, foot rubs and chick flicks for hours on end. Then, just when the night is about to end, he will carry her to his bedroom. He shall lay her on a bed covered with rose petals, get her drunk on love and champagne…mostly champagne… and he will fu-"
"Ow!" Nightwing snickered as he received a swat to the chest "Ok, that's enough!" Raven couldn't stop laughing. Although she knew Dick was mocking her and Beast Boy, she couldn't help but laugh whenever the others played these little jokes on her. She did marry the jokester himself after all; she's well used to it by now.
The 'siblings' spent another short while in just the others company, just a little quiet time before the havoc of another Titan day would set in.
"Psssssssssssssst"
…
"Umm, Rae?"
Raven lifted an eyebrow suspiciously "Yeah, I heard it too." The pair looked around the Tower's roof until they found the source of the hissing.
Green eyes focused on the two perched across the way. Her eyes being the only thing visible, the rest of her body remained hidden behind the tower. Strands of red hair blew across the green pupils altering the girl's vision slightly, but they playfulness still visibly present within them.
They two smiled at their newest guest.
"Starfire what are you—"
The Tameranian's full face now appeared the rest of her just remaining hidden below the base of the neck, a ring on a chain now visible. A slim, tanned index finger was placed in the middle of her thin lips, indicating silence.
"Have you seen Alex?" A small giggle from her throat followed.
Raven's eyes widened slightly "My Alex?"
"Yes…" Teehee. "We are participating in the glorious game of seeking and hiding!"
After all the years Starfire had spent with the Titans, she still spoke like she had almost ten years prior when landed here on earth, beside their now favourite Pizza Parlour, and battled a then-Robin for a language transfer. Speaking her first words exactly the way she speaks today.
But of course, the Titans wouldn't have her any other way. Especially Nightwing.
Nightwing felt alove for her from the moment she first arrived here. When they first battled, he realised that he loved that fiery goddess. Her eyes were wild and her hair a dark red, like blood. He needed that voice to shout some more, Tameranian streaming from her tongue. Well, languages had always appealed to him.
When he first found out what she was really like, he needed her to be like that. Forever. He loved the way she spoke, her mistakes causing him to fall deeper into admiration. And he loved correcting her, not because he just wanted to look smart, but, for one, because she seemed genuinely happy that he had given her attention, and so he then took it upon himself to become her teacher, willing to give her all the attention in the world, and secondly, because she'd blush whenever he did so. He loved that blush; he needed that blush in his life.
He loved his innocent little Starfire, and she loved being his innocent little Starfire. And so has always remained that way, for her, for us, and for him.
One of the many reasons why he married her.
Little pitter patters could be heard trotting towards the roof's door. Starfire 'Eeep!-ed' and hide once again behind the concrete as Raven and Nightwing smirked to themselves and turned once again towards the city.
The door handle jiggled for a number of moments before there was an aggravated little sigh and the door came to life, a purple hugh surrounding it as it swung open.
A little boy, no older than three, stood in the frame. His tired, green eyes were wide as he searched the roof for his prey. His pale, lilac skin looked bright in the morning air. Meet little Alexander Logan.
"Mammma! Have wou sween Starwire? I can't fwind her!" The little boy searched around the roof, barely acknowledging his mother or god-father, just focused on finding his auntie Star.
Snicker "Umm no sweetheart I haven't seen her." Nightwing got up and headed over to where Starfire was hiding, a knowing smile playing on his lips as he sat down on the edge near his wife, obviously talking quietly to her telling her how mean she was being towards her nephew. With the so called nephew taking account of his uncle's actions and becoming more and more suspicious within the second.
"And besides isn't asking cheating?"
That brought him to attention. "Nuu! Not iff I can't fwind her after all dis timeee, Mama!" Alex continued his search, making his way over to his guilty-looking Uncle Dick. "I've been wooking for ages!"
"Alex away from the edge, please."
"But Mama she's ova here! She clossse, Mama! I can smell de mustards!"
"Hey!" Starfire's head shot up above the edge of the tower, eyes shining a playful green. She flew over to Alex so he would not follow her to the edge of the tower and swooped him up in her arms. "I do not recall digesting any mustard this morning!" Alex squealed and began to kick as his aunt began to tickle his sides, gently (for a Tameranian).
"Okay that's enough, you're going to hurt auntie Star's belly. Alex, c'mon, down stairs for breakfast with Daddy." Raven took her babe into her arms when he wouldn't take her hand and started walking towards the door, the other two Titans following suit. Nightwing walked behind his wife while rubbing her stomach and whispering sweet nothings in her ear. He loved that blush. Raven looked back at the scene and smiled to herself "Only five more months to go until another little hero is to come and join you and Damian." "Yeah! B-because the stork coming to Auntie Starwire and Uncle Nightwingg!" Alex smiled and clapped his hands as Raven took him downstairs. "That's right, honey, that's right…"
The kitchen was the most hectic room in Titans Tower in the morning. The mixed aromas of tofu and bacon, along with the little boys' porridge defiantly gave that unique touch to the place. Alex caught sight of Damian playing Mega Monkeys 5 and gently wiggled out of his mother's arms and flew to the floor. He was just beginning to handle sorcery; flight was not on the agenda right now. We didn't need a flying three year old who could open the door to the roof with him mind. Nuh huh. Raven watched to see her son trotting the rest of the way over to the other 'mini-Titan'.
"Damie! I caught Starwire!"
The Titans laughed as the young boys conversed.
"Ah, little lady's startin' to loose her touch." Cyborg laughed as he flipped the bacon. Beast Boy was standing beside him, quietly holding his nose in the presence of burning meat as the rest of the Titans took their seats on the stools.
"He brought mustard into the equation. He did not do the playing fairly!" Starfire put on a playful pout, leaning into her husband's embrace.
"That's my boy, Alex!" Alex turned around to receive the thumbs up from 'Daddy' before grinning and returning back to the killer monkeys.
"Ugh, BB that is defiantly your son." Beast Boy grinned at Cyborg, the famous pointy tooth sticking out above the rest of his pearly whites. "Had you any doubt?" Beast Boy looked thoughtful for a moment before adding "Wait don't answer that."
The Titan's laughed as more playful conversation took place, while the food was taking it's sweet time to cook.
"Alright y'all dig in!"
"Damian, honey, over here for your breakfast" Damian trotted over to his mother as she sat him in his chair beside Alex, who was receiving the same treatment from Raven, both boys protesting, saying they could do it by there selves.
Life was good. The Titans had adapted quite nicely from the 24/7 crime fighting team that they were, into a more nurturing and caring one. Of course crimes must still be stopped, but now with the next generation of heroes to protect and prepare, the Titans were not afraid to ask for help every once and a while, something that their pride would not allow back in their teen years. Titans east were still a huge help, as well as the justice league. But of course the Titans would also be there for any other Titan or team that seeked their help. Heroes had other Heroes backs, and so everyone was okay. It was like one big family forever expanding and creating the newer generations of future heroes.
And that's the way they liked it.
After breakfast the girls headed into the kitchen to clean, as Cyborg and Beast Boy took their sons to wash their hands and faces and then made their way to the sofa, Nightwing waiting behind a moment to give Starfire some extra attention, consisting of kisses on the tummy and lips before he jogged off to join the other boys of the house. Controllers were placed in the little boys' hands as their daddy's and uncles set them up to play with the monkeys once more before nap time. And then the real video games could be played. That's right people Mega Monkeys 7.
As Raven glanced over at her boys playing video games and her girls laughing and talking over the sink, she couldn't help the swell of love that filled her heart.
This is how it was meant to be. With all the smiles, and all the excitement, and just so much to look forward to every day. Yes. This is exactly the way the Titans were meant to turn out. She knew this when Trigon tried to take over the world, when Slade nearly took Robin away from them, and when they defeated the Brotherhood of Evil, that sense of family was definitely there. It never left, nor will it ever leave. In Raven's eyes the Titans are the strongest family that ever was, and nothing will ever separate them. Ever.
And then…
The Titan's alarm rang.
…
"Alright, who's babysitting?"