Disclaimer: Teen Titans © Warner Bros & DC Comics. This series, on the other hand, is my brain child.

A/N: This is the second time I've rewritten this story, but I've got some fresh ideas and I'm open to ideas, so feel free to give me your opinions—as long as they are not flames. I consider myself to be extremely fortunate to have one of the BEST Teen Titan Betas on the site, so I'm pretty optimistic about this story.

O n e

I sat in the park and let the wind blow through my long black hair. August was a beautiful month in Jump City, even I had to admit it. Ever since early June, I had gotten into the habit of going jogging in the middle of the afternoon. I wanted my boyfriend, Xavier, to come with me, but he was always busy or not feeling well. I couldn't really blame him. Xavier had XODD (xenothium overdosage disorder), which meant that xenothium, a popular party drug, was surging through his veins. He was slowly dying and no matter what treatments he got or what medicines he took, he would always be dying. The thought terrified me and kept me awake at night, but Xavier had had this disease since before he was born. He was actually used to it by now.

Despite everything, I was genuinely happy with my life now…but something was missing. It was the strangest thing. Whenever I was in the park jogging, I subconsciously jogged by the playground every day. I found myself looking at the kids playing and I felt something tug at my heart. Watching them captivated me. I felt jealous of the parents. I was scared of having kids, yet I wanted to have them. I wanted to believe that my father's genes—his hatred and anger—wouldn't be passed down to my own children. It didn't matter anyway. I never wanted to be with anyone besides Xavier. Xavier couldn't have kids. His XODD would be passed to and any child that I carried. He didn't want to take that risk. So, I was never going to have children of my own.

I got up and pulled my hair up into a ponytail. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my new iPod and inserted my headphones I took off and started jogging out of the park. I kept my music low and jogged almost all the way back to Titans Tower. I stopped at the keypad that opened up the bridge that connected the pier with the island the Tower resided on. My top was drenched with sweat and my hair was damp.

"Have a nice run?"

"Xavier!" I turned around and ran into my boyfriend's arms. He had been gone most of the summer to New York with his adoptive mother and we hadn't had a chance to talk much since and while he was gone. When we separated I gave him a quick once over. He had put on a little bit of weight, which didn't make him look as scrawny and anorexic as he did when he left. "You look great!"

"You've…you've lost weight." Xavier frowned. At sixteen years old, I should have been around one hundred and twelve pounds. I was only ninety-two pounds. My father had me on a strict diet and exercise program. I was Nightwing's daughter. When he retired, it was up to me to replace him. That was a life that I was dreading and in only nine months, after I graduated, I would be sent off to Japan to begin my training under my father's old master.

"I've started jogging," I said, "nothing serious."

"Yeah, because it's not like you skin and bones already." Xavier's tone was harsh and sarcastic. Chills shot down my spine. It was times when he acted like this that he reminded me of my abusive father.

"Don't talk like that. You sound like him." I said.

"Sorry." Xavier's frown deepened. "I just worry about you all the time."

"I don't want anything to happen to us. For all I know, this could be our last time together." I wrapped my arms around my middle. "Xavier, I'm leaving right after graduation."

"So soon?" Xavier lost his color. "No, no, no! Mari, you can't leave!"

"I don't have a choice!" I moaned miserably and knelt down. "Xavier, I'm only going to be seventeen in December! I won't be eighteen until after I'm supposed to leave for Japan."

I moved away from him and sat down on the railing of the pier. I put my head in my hands. It felt as if the future was gripping its hands tighter and tighter around my throat with every passing second. Xavier moved over and sat down next to me and gently put his arms around my waist. I laid my head on his shoulder and let his warmth surround me.

"I'll find a way out of this, baby." Xavier said stroking my face gently with his hand. "Don't worry. If I have to get us fake documents that say that we're eighteen, we'll do it."

"Promise?" I asked.

"Of course." Xavier nodded. He kissed my cheek. "Nothing bad will happen to you."

I just wish he had been right.