"Morning of goodness, friend!" Starfire nearly attacked Bumble Bee in a hug. "Did you enjoy your day of birth yesterday?"

Bumble Bee patted her back. "Yes I did, Star. Thank you."

Starfire released her & went about finishing the silver dollar sized pancakes. "I am filled with the joy for you."

"Thanks." Bumble Bee set Calvin in his highchair & went to pour grape juice in a sippy cup.

"Where's my kiss, babe?" Cyborg teased.

She kissed him. "Demanding."

Cyborg just grinned.

I-V-F

Nightwing put his coffee cup down & looked around. "What's everybody up to today?"

"Cy & I are having our Mega Monkeys XIII tournament!" Changeling raised a fist.

Bumble Bee frowned. "No, you're not. Not today."

"It's Wednesday, right?" Changeling was confused.

"Yes."

"Then it's today."

"No. Sparky is going with me to the doctor's."

"You wanted me to go with you?!" Cyborg's jaw dropped.

"Yes! I'm not going through this by myself!"

"Going through what? What are you having done?"

"The IVF treatments!"

He started. "What?!"

"What is wrong with you?! How could you forget?! I told you last week!"

"You didn't tell me we were going for that! You just said you made an appointment to go to the doctor!"

"Why else would I go to the doctor?! You're here!"

"You know? she makes a good point." Jinx tapped her chin.

Cyborg glared at her before looking at his girlfriend. "You don't mean this! I thought you forgot about this! You didn't say anything yesterday!"

"Because I already made the appointment! What was I supposed to say?!" Bumble Bee put her hands on her hips.

"I don't know! You haven't said two words about getting pregnant since Bas was born!"

"Because it's been hard to wait! I didn't want to talk about it on top of it!"

"You make no sense!"

"So you're making me go by myself?!"

"We're not ready! Cal's too young! We're too young! How is this a good idea?!"

"I'm getting my baby! I told you that! If you can't get with the program, I'll go by myself!" She picked up Calvin & flew out.

Cyborg facepalmed & shook his head. "Can you believe her?!"

"Yes." Starfire said immediately.

"Star!"

"Star!" Nightwing tried to shush her but it was too late.

"She wants to expand her family! How can you deny her that?! You agreed this past year, Friend Cyborg! It is unfair to do the backing out now!"

"She's right." Jinx put in. "You said on her birthday, you'd go."

"It's past her birthday!" Cyborg threw up his hands.

"Regardless." Raven said. "You made a promise. You know she wants more children."

"This isn't fair. You're all on her side."

"I am." Kid Flash readily admitted.

Terra stood up. "We should go find her. She's probably mad as a wet chicken."

"Who taught you that?" Changeling grinned.

"You know you did." She huffed.

"Yeah, I did. Cuz it's funny."

"Philistine." Raven rolled her eyes as she stood up. She picked up Charlotte. "Watch Sebastian."

The girls all left.

"What's ITS, Daddy?" Christopher asked.

Nightwing blanched.

I-V-F

Bumble Bee huffed as she looked through her closet for something to wear. "I can't believe him!"

"Men." Jinx & Raven muttered in unison.

"I apologize for Friend Cyborg." Starfire put a hand on Bumble Bee's shoulder. "He is usually so supportive. I do not understand his aversion to becoming a father again."

"He'll see what he's missing when you get pregnant." Terra was sure.

"It might not happen. IUI isn't 100% effective. It might take a while. But I always thought we'd get through it together. With him holding my hand." Bumble Bee slumped.

Raven took pity on her. "I'm not Victor but I could accompany you. I'll even hold your hand."

Bumble Bee smiled. "Thanks, Raven."

"We'll watch Charlie & Cal." Jinx said. "When's your appointment?"

"Ten thirty but I have to be there fifteen minutes early to fill out paperwork."

"You don't have much time." Terra pointed out. "We have less than three hours to find you the perfect baby making outfit."

"Thanks, guys."

"Friend?" Starfire frowned.

"Yeah?" Bumble Bee took out a shirt & slacks combo.

"However did you procure Friend Cyborg's… necessary bodily fluids to perform your procedure?"

"He doesn't always pay attention when I talk. I just asked him where was it stored & he told me. No monkey business."

"Ugh!" Jinx pinched the bridge of her nose. "They never listen to us!"

The other girls giggled.

I-V-F

Changeling checked his communicator. "Rae says they've arrived."

Cyborg frowned but continued playing the video game.

"You're really not going?" Kid Flash asked accusingly.

"I don't want this."

"Why not?" Nightwing asked.

"Why'd you tell Starfire to wait a year after you're married?"

"Because I have a ton of baggage & it was a knee-jerk reaction to hold her off."

Cyborg gaped at him. "What?!"

"You think I'm not self-aware?"

Cyborg blinked. "There isn't a deep seated issue here. I just don't know why she can't wait. I'm only twenty!"

"& you're not getting any younger." Kid Flash said snidely.

"Why are you so happy about her getting pregnant?! Your girlfriend wants to wait!"

"Because she's not ready for kids. She's great at being an aunt right now but she's given me a specific date in which we can start trying. She wouldn't try to weasel out of it."

"Cy, what's this really about?" Changeling asked. "It can't be about your age."

Cyborg glared down at his hands.

"Talk to us."

"I'm a freak."

"What?"

"I'm a freak." He repeated louder.

"You're not a freak, Cyborg." Nightwing told him.

"Yes, I am. I'm a half metal freak with daddy issues. No kid wants my genes. I come from dysfunction. I stress every day about the day when Cal realizes what I am & becomes ashamed of me."

"You can't be serious." Nightwing said as Kid Flash said, "You don't mean that!"

Cyborg hunched his shoulders as if caving in on himself.

Changeling stared at his best friend hard. "Cy, look at me."

Cyborg turned away.

"Look at me, Cy." Changeling demanded gently.

Cyborg looked at him.

"I was terrified Bas was going to hate me for giving him my messed up DNA until Nightwing reminded me that I'm a good person. I keep telling you guys that it's who you are, not what you are. You're always human first & foremost."

Cyborg relaxed his shoulders.

"I mean look at me. My ears are pointed, my teeth are fangs & I have a wheelbarrow full of stuff that different about me that's passed on down to my son. But I know that I'm a good dad & any rejection I face from him will be because I make dad jokes & dress badly. Not because I'm what society deems a freak."

Cyborg straightened.

"& even if he is embarrassed by me, I know I can just talk to him because I'm the only person who knows what he'll go through in life being what we are. Right now Bas is pushing up his first fang & I know what to do. I know that he wants a chilled piece of thick rope to chew on. Because when my fangs pushed up, it was like teething all over again. I know what he's going through & I can help."

Cyborg nodded.

"I can teach him things that other people can't because they're my experiences. My DNA may be messed up but it's mine & I know how to live with it. & I'll teach him all about my many fathers. Mark, Steve & Clark. So he knows what works & what doesn't. So I know what works & what doesn't."

Cyborg nodded again.

"& I know that if there is any time that I feel like I'm not doing such a bang up job, I have his mother right there. Because he's half of her & whatever I'm lacking, she'll pick up the slack. That's love. I love my kids & I love, am in love with their mother."

Cyborg looked shocked as if he'd forgotten all about the female side of the equation.

"Do you love Karen?" Nightwing asked.

"Yes! Of course!" Cyborg stuttered out.

"Do you enjoy having her as the mother of your child?" Kid Flash wanted to know.

Cyborg thought about it. "I wouldn't want to do it with anybody else."

"Then why is she going through this without you by her side?" Changeling questioned.

Cyborg swallowed hard.

I-V-F

Bumble Bee flexed her hands.

"Just relax, Ms. Beecher." The nurse said. "It really isn't so bad."

Raven gave Bumble Bee her hand. "Here. Squeeze."

Bumble Bee took her hand. "Thanks, Rae."

"I know you're nervous but this is what you want & you're going for it. I admire you for that."

Bumble Bee nodded & tried to get brave. It was what she wanted. Sometimes to make an omelet, you had to crack a few eggs. "I'm ready."

The nurse smiled. "The doctor will be here soon."

"What do you want?" Raven asked.

"Excuse me?" Bumble Bee was confused.

"To have. What do you want?"

"I know nobody means it when they say this but as long as it's healthy, I don't care if it's an alien."

"Will it… have your powers?" She whispered.

Bumble Bee nodded. "My powers are a dominate gene. It runs strong in my family. Both my parents had it."

"Will it be born with wings or will they grow?"

Bumble Bee knew what Raven was doing. & she appreciated it. "Born. All my brothers & sisters were born with theirs. I assume I was, too."

The door opened & the doctor walked in. "Hello, Ms. Beecher? & who is this?"

Raven shook the man's hand.

"This is my friend, Raven Logan." Bumble Bee swallowed hard.

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Logan. Okay, Ms. Beecher, we can get started. I'm going to sanitize my hands & we'll get you set up in no time." The doctor washed his hands & pulled on gloves.

Bumble Bee tensed up again.

Raven saw this. "What are you thinking for names?"

"I've always liked Marco for a boy. For a girl, maybe Molly? My mom always called me Messy Molly. I stayed in the dirt as a kid. We had a flower garden in the backyard & I used to spend hours back there."

"You don't want to name your child after a flower?"

"If I do, it'll have to be Violet or Lily. Maybe Daisy. I hate the name Rose."

"It isn't very fancy."

"It helps that I hate roses."

"So do I. They're too blatant."

"So obvious."

The doctor put a face mask on & assembled his tools.

Raven didn't want Bumble Bee to freeze up again so she kept her talking. "What's a backup name for a boy? He's going to have a middle name, isn't he?"

"All my brothers & sisters & I have middle names from the bible." She said.

"Really? What's your middle name?"

"Dinah."

"I don't know who she is."

"She was disobedient. She caused a bunch of trouble. My mom said that she hoped I would make the name great. She said I had it in me."

"I think you have." Everyone in the room turned to the door. Cyborg stood there, cloaked by his holorings.

"Excuse me, sir but you can't just walk in here." The nurse went to him.

"He's the father." Raven said.

"Oh. Well come in. Please shut the door. We want to protect the patient's privacy."

Cyborg shut the door & came closer. Raven went to sit down out of the way. Cyborg took Bumble Bee's hand. She snatched it away but he took it back. "I'm so sorry I wasn't here for you. I'm a huge jerk for letting you come here by yourself but I'm here now."

"You don't have to be here." She looked away from him. "If me & my children are a burden to you, we can just leave."

"You're not a burden to me. Neither is my son nor any child that results from today. I love you & I want to have more children with you. I want to give you everything you've ever wanted."

Tears danced on her lashes. She sniffled. "Really?"

"Really." He kissed her. "As long as the kids have a mix of you & me, I'm game."

Bumble Bee squeezed his hand. "Thanks, Sparky."

He hugged her. "Anytime, babe."

"Are we ready?" The doctor asked.

Bumble Bee smiled up at Cyborg before nodding. "Ready."