*Snapshot Memories*
*I do not own Teen Titans or anything related to the DC universe*
RATED T for: Future violence, medical terms and medical situations.
WARNING: There will be multiple sensitive topics in the entire fanfiction that can be very triggering.
"Calm down, everything will be worked out." Arella said, she then turned to address Bumblebee. "How far apart are your contractions?"
The grimace on Bumblebee's face didn't lessen at all, "'bout thirteen to fifteen minutes."
Despite Arella's attempts, Cyborg was in a full-blown panic as they were dimensions away from Earth. And Raven should have trusted her instincts that Bumblebee and Cyborg should have stayed behind. It was her own fault that she hadn't reinforced them to stay behind at the tower. She was also sure that no one could convince Bumblebee to stay in Azarath to give birth. And that would mean their child wouldn't technically be an American citizen.
"Ina and Shoshen will quickly prepare one of the medical rooms." Arella nodded towards the older woman who left.
Raven flinched from the high rise in emotions while Beast boy was trying to calm down his best friend. The pain she felt from Bumblebee was indirect and came in waves that felt like awful menstrual cramps. It didn't take long for the situation to turn melodramatic which made it harder for Arella to take control.
"I mean she's not due for another week." Cyborg said as he steadied his girlfriend with his arms, "We need a hospital."
"He's probably too cramped in there and wants some extra leg room." Beast boy tried to ease Cyborg's tension but instead of laughter he received a nasty look, "Right, not the time or place for jokes."
Ina quickly left the room and loudly spoke to several people outside until her voice receded down the corridor. Raven took several deep breaths to clear her mind and to shield Bumblebee's emotions. Arella had already been going through a list of questions with Bumblebee and Beast boy quietly surveyed the situation.
Arella's expression was calm throughout the chaos, "Cyborg, you will need to contact the hospital immediately and have a room prepared."
"I'm okay, Vic." Bumblebee nodded and Beast boy moved to take Cyborg's place at her side.
Beast boy knew he wasn't entirely helping but he'd do anything for Cyborg to relax and make the phone call. Cyborg fumbled for his black and yellow communicator and headed outside the room to speak.
"Raven, you will need to listen closely." Arella shared a look with her daughter before she continued, "The risks of teleportation can be reduced through a spell, though it cannot guarantee complete safety."
It was an idiotic decision on both accounts. Traveling from Azarath and performing a spell that had not yet been practiced. It was a set up for failure even though it was an emergency. And the newlyweds back on Earth would be unaware that there was going to be a new addition to titan's tower sooner than later.
"That's unwise, Arella." Raven held her ground, though her voice broke from its usual monotone and transformed into fear. "She'll be more vulnerable if I so much as lapse in concentration. For the baby…it's safer to remain in Azarath."
Bumblebee slowly exhaled before she spoke up, "Raven, l—"
"No," She was already shaking her head, "No, I can't do that to you."
She covered her face with her cold hands before she ran them through her hair which tangled from the action. Raven refused to meet their eyes as if it would seal her fate and Bumblebee's.
"But I'm askin' you to please take this risk." Her breath caught in her throat. Not once had she heard Bumblebee sound so…desperate.
"Contacted the hospital but we'll need the T-car when we get back." Cyborg broke the tension in the room as Bumblebee continued to plead to the empath.
Beast boy shook his head and the anxiety finally set in, "She won't do it. She thinks it'll harm them both."
"Raven, this is serious in more ways than one." Arella's hand gently rested on Raven's back, "And it is not an advanced incantation."
She squeezed her eyes closed before nodding her head once and in an instant, her mother was her instructor. If only Azar was still alive to instruct her, then there wouldn't have been any doubts. Arella quickly scribbled the two words on a small portion of parchment paper.
"It is best to do it now." Arella said.
Beast boy's arms steadied the dark-skinned titan before he stepped out of the way beside Cyborg. It was dead silent in the windowless room as her lips moved but no words fell from them. Raven struggled to read the paper but she couldn't stop her hands from trembling and had gone over the spell more than twice.
"Evicaro Consiletus!"
Spirals of glowing orange and black light left the tips of her fingers and encircled Bumblebee before seemingly disappearing into her skin. With quick goodbyes to Arella; Cyborg and Beast boy prepared themselves to be teleported by Raven. It was even more difficult to simultaneously keep her focus and block her teammates mixed emotions from mingling with her own.
The sharp smell of disinfectant reached her nose to signify that the titans made it to the front entrance of Bay View Hospital. Cyborg carefully left to check Bumblebee into the hospital while Beast boy took a moment to regain his balance. Whenever Raven would teleport long distances, a giant wave of vertigo never failed to wash over him.
"We need to head back to the tower to get the T-car and her hospital bag."
Raven didn't wait for Beast boy to reopen his eyes and left to stand outside the hospital. It made her sick to her stomach and Bumblebee's pain had been amplified.
Beast boy followed her, "Slow down a minute, Rae."
"Cyborg needs the paper work."
"Fine alright." He stared at her for a moment but she didn't give any indication that she was aware. "I'm flying us both home, you're already drained."
Before Raven could protest, Beast boy had already transformed into a pterodactyl and snatched her up with his talons. She breathed a sigh of relief at Cyborg's preparedness. Beast boy had grabbed the keys to the T-car off the hook and headed to the garage with his wife hot on his heels. The Graco car seat had been preinstalled with what looked like Bumblebee's and the baby's hospital bag in the back seat.
"I…I don't think you should come, Raven." Beast boy held the passenger door closed from the top and her hand rested on the silver handle.
The words repeated themselves in her head and she addressed her soft voice to him, "What makes you think you can tell me what I can or can't do?"
It was ridiculous; they shouldn't have been standing there and taking their sweet time. The clock was ticking and Cyborg was anxiously waiting for the couple. She pried Beast boy's hand off the side of the door only for him to catch her wrist in his grasp.
"I'm not telling you, I'm suggesting that you stay back at the tower." His green eyes bored into hers as he quickly explained himself, "And it's not a secret that hospitals are hard for you."
She wrinkled her nose, all that time Raven thought that she had been inconspicuous. "Gar, we need to leave. It's just a hospital."
"If you can't handle the pain from Bumblebee's contractions," His voice turned hard and he released her hand, "Then what makes you think you'll be just dandy when she's about to give birth?"
Raven folded her arms across her chest, she didn't want to be arguing with him now of all times, "I'm going with you. And I want to be there for her."
He turned away from her in what seemed like anger and slid into the driver's seat without another word. Raven followed suit and soon Beast boy was speeding on the freeway in the carpool lane. The anxiety that rolled off him was almost suffocating, though he was correct about his assumptions. Hospitals and cemeteries alike always drained her of energy and weighed her down with dread or pain. Her hands clutched the edge of the seat as the speedometer inched over the speed limit.
She opened her mouth but was cut off by the emergency alarm from inside the T-car. Beast boy's free hand fiddled with the controls to view the issue on the flat screen. When the titans had been first founded, the mayor had funded cameras to be positioned all over the city in each sector. And from there, Cyborg and Robin had programmed the cameras to be viewed in the tower and the T-car.
"Punk Rocket," Raven mumbled to herself, "Just what we need."
Beast boy nodded once and refocused on the road, "Looks like his usual stuff."
"I can take care of him, you go on ahead to Cyborg."
The couple exchanged a few more words on the situation and soon Beast boy continued his way to the hospital alone. Raven now soared over the skyscraper buildings, her eyes searching for any signs of panic. She didn't have to search far as the screaming was distinct and quickly drowned out by an amplified guitar. Facing the rebellious adult alone was not something she looked forward to.
"Raven calling for back up." She held her communicator tightly in her hand and waited for a response.
"We're a bit busy." The image of Jinx shifted as she dove behind a car for cover. The sound of gun shots was unmistakable. "Robbery on 5th and J stre—Kid Flash look out!"
The screen turned into static before the device switched off on Jinx's end. Bright lights from the large outside stage temporarily blinded her. Hundreds of people trampled over each other to escape the white-haired punk.
"Blimey!" It was hard to miss the dark orange sleeveless jumpsuit and his facial piercings that gleamed from the overhead lights, "You lots call this music?"
Raven's feet touched down on the stage as the three popstars cowered behind their equipment and the black beams that held up the stage. "This gets old quick."
"Oi! You've come for an encore?"
The second voice was a higher octave and smoother than Punk Rocket's and the voice struggled with proper pronunciations. Raven allowed her eyes to adjust to the light. There she saw a young girl no taller than four feet; her dark hair hung freely off her shoulders. At such a young age her tongue and nose were pierced and judging from the surprise on Punk Rocket's face, the child wasn't supposed to be present.
His head whipped up and stared down at the empath. His fingers flitted across the strings to his guitar and sonic blast swept Raven off her feet. Her body slammed to the ground; knocking the breath out of her lungs. And her ears continued to ring with the sour notes of his instrument.
"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!"
Raven's black aura tore apart the metal poles from above and twisted to form a jail cell around the rebellious girl. One less nuisance already dealt with. Her powers formed a bubble-like shield over herself to block the next blow.
"Sod off!"
"¡Oye! Hey!" Raven's eyes searched about until she set eyes on the familiar titans. "¿Necesita ayuda? Do you need help?" Mas asked.
In a flash, both twins were at her side with their hands touching. "Cyborg me acaba de llamar. Cyborg just called me." Menos said, "Que va en trabajo de parto. She's going into labor."
"Look, now is a bad time for this discussion." She chanted another phrase and tied equipment cords around Punk Rocket's legs. It was enough to send the adult crashing onto the floor and it allowed the three popstars to escape the fight scene.
The small girl stuck her arm and shoulder through the metal cage, "Don't let the fuzz get you, Dad."
Mas and Menos sprinted to the adult, ready to confiscate the horrid instrument though the adult wasn't going down without a fight. Mas suffered a swift punch to his gut and he doubled over in pain. Raven hesitated as the words from the girl almost caught her off guard. It wasn't difficult to place the pieces together. But the child's dark eyes were fearful as she watched the titans attack her father. To the girl, they were the enemies that locked her father away for months. With a wave of her hand the metal cage was carefully discarded to free the child.
"Leave him." Raven's voice was loud, then she addressed the man with a small pool of blood forming around his mouth, "If you know what's best, you'll stay out of our way."
Mas and Menos watched with wide eyes as she released the low-threat villain. The guitar was the one that had suffered the real causality. It lay in black shards with the strings ripped and the amp cord detached, compliments to Menos. The girl had run over and wiped at her father's bloody nose with the sleeve of her black sweater.
Her icy eyes bored into Raven's, "You're a bunch of rubbish."
She turned her back and walked away from the destroyed stage and the items left behind by scared fans. She didn't need to turn around to figure out the teenaged twins followed her.
"¿Se puede? Is that allowed?" Mas brushed off the debris that had settled on his white uniform.
Menos eyed her suspiciously, "¿Qué hiciste? What did you do?"
"Don't tell anyone. Especially Robin."
Mas shared a look with his brother, the uncertainty was evident. "Solo esta vez. Just this once."
"Está bien. Okay." Menos nodded in agreement.
And if Robin somehow found out that she had willingly let a villain escape; he would blow his top. Raven sighed as she replayed possible situation that could unfold and inwardly cringed. How could she have easily taken away a child's parent and sense of protection without a second thought?
"Bumblebee's in Bay View hospital." She said, trying to shake off her thoughts, "It won't take long to get there."
The two teenagers touched elbows and Menos pulled his goggles over his eyes "Vamos a seguir. We will follow you."
As expected, Aqualad was seated on one of the tan chairs in the lobby of the hospital. Raven followed Menos to greet their teammate with Mas walking alongside of her. Aqualad shifted in his seat while he bounced his leg up and down after glancing around his surroundings and checking his watch. She had consciously constructed a mental barrier to block the pain from her empathy to spare her sensitivity.
"I suppose everybody is already with her?" Raven's soft voice startled the older titan, he turned to see them with dirty uniforms and minimal injuries.
"Yeah," Aqualad nodded his head once, "I was worried. Did you all handle it okay?"
"Sì. Yeah." Mas nodded his head and opened his mouth to say more but his twin cut him off.
Menos slung an arm around his brother and tiredly smiled, "Era ningún problema. It was no problem."
"¿Ahora dónde está ella? Now, where is she?" Mas shrugged off the physical contact as he grew impatient.
"Alright, C'mon." Aqualad stood up and gently enveloped Raven a hug, "How are you holding up?"
Raven quietly contemplated her response as they walked down the corridor and to a set of elevators, "I'll be okay after this chaos is over."
"Heh, I understand." Aqualad gestured for her to step out of the elevator first while he followed suit after the twins. "Bumblebee is in room 2143."
The group of four titans turned around another bend in the floor that then opened to a lobby and through another set of double doors. Raven swallowed and folded her arms across her chest; nails digging into her soft skin. The deeper they happened to venture into the hospital the harder it was to shield any type of emotion from her empathy. Her eyes took it all in, it was unusually quiet and the rooms were further spaced out.
"This wing of the hospital is specifically reserved for heroes only." Aqualad answered her unspoken question. "The Justice League ran background checks on doctors specifically for metahumans."
She nodded her head, "I suppose that was along Batman's line of thinking?"
"No. It was actually Wonder Woman's idea." Aqualad said, "And the rooms are specially designed to deactivate all powers."
The second waiting room was smaller in size than the public lobby. The floor was of laminated wood; contrasting with light and dark brown shades. A single flat screen TV was mounted to the wall displaying a popular American TV series. Speedy was perched on one of the light gray couches with the large window to his back. But what had surprised Raven was Melvin, Timmy, and Teether quietly huddled around a small white table with miniature Legos. She barely glanced at the paintings that hung from the walls and the rack of various magazines.
Aqualad only walked several more feet into the next hallway before he opened the door. Cyborg was seated at his girlfriend's side in the large room. The blinds were turned closed to hide the nighttime sky. And just in front of the window was another long light gray couch that seated Beast boy, Jinx, and Kid Flash. Her eyes grazed over the room and found a wall clock above the light wooden cabinets. A white warmer for the baby was off to the side near the cabinets, Bumblebee had already been hooked up to a vital signs machine, and there was more equipment that Raven couldn't identify.
"¿Bumblebee, Cómo te sientes? How do you feel?" Mas had crossed the room to his former leader of titans east and evaluated her.
Bumblebee looked away from Cyborg, "Hey guys. It just feels like cramping."
For the most part it did look painful, though only when her contractions passed. Menos moved to occupy the second chair in the room and Bumblebee continued to speak choppy sentences in Spanish. Loud musical chimes filled the room and Aqualad excused himself to answer his phone. Raven crossed the room and swiftly sat beside her husband who immediately wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
"I'm not hurt." Raven said after she noticed that he was searching her for any injuries.
He shook his head, "Your uniform says otherwise. We can go home and get you cleaned up."
"We're not having this discussion." Her voice was low in effort to avoid eaves droppers which was difficult as it was. "Why are Melvin, Timmy, and Teether even here?"
Kid Flash looked away from his girlfriend fretting about his own more serious injuries, "Herald was supposed to take them back home. Don't know what happened after Robin and Starfire were sent off."
"Let's go outside." Beast boy whispered back in her ear.
Raven shook her head in annoyance, "Garfield, I just got here."
"Then you know very well as me that nothing is protecting you from the raw emotions."
"Oh gosh," Bumblebee whimpered in pain and Cyborg was there to help rub her lower back, "Ouch."
The sensation was enough to give into Beast boy's suggestion, "Alright."
Raven came to be familiar with the waiting room as the hours passed by. And frequently the couple would peak in to check on Bumblebee only leaving when the pain was almost equally crippling to Raven. They had walked around the building of the hospital, ventured into the cafeteria and the gift shop.
"I want cartoons." Timmy said after a variety of toys could no longer capture his attention.
Melvin looked up from the Lego city Timmy had helped her build, "Yeah, can we watch 'Courage the Cowardly Dog?'"
Raven looked up from the quiet discussion she was sharing with Beast boy while Teether had fallen asleep in her lap. Several times, the couple had to hush the kids and was told to keep it down by a nurse. Toys were scattered everywhere along with the candy Beast boy had generously bought them.
"Only if you're quiet then I'll change the channel." Beast boy said.
Timmy nodded his head and climbed onto the empty space and cuddled up beside Raven. Melvin remained seated at the small table as she continued to build and play with the plastic people. Beast boy stood up and fiddled with the buttons on the flat screen until he changed to a popular network for cartoons.
"Thanks Beast boy." Melvin popped a gummy bear in her mouth much to Raven's dismay.
Candy that late at night wasn't good especially with all the sugar on her teeth; it was grounds for cavities to develop. After Beast boy returned to his place beside Raven, she let her head lazily rest on his shoulder. She had been nodding off when a black vortex opened in front of them and outstepped Herald in his navy-blue uniform.
"Sorry I'm late." He held his silver horn at his side as he assessed the tyke titans. "Kilowatt and Pantha ran into some trouble."
Raven blinked to clear the daze from her mind, "At least you're here now."
"I'm sure they'll be happy to have their own beds." Herald reached out to take Teether from Raven's arms. She woke Timmy and gathered a sleep deprived Melvin for Herald to take home.
Two pairs of small arms wrapped themselves around Raven's neck before turning to hug Beast boy. "Get some sleep when you get home."
Melvin let out a yawn and her eyes watered, "Okay. Sweet dreams, Raven. Night Beast boy."
Timmy waved goodbye and Herald reopened the portal to a different set of coordinates. Not long after, Mas and Menos walked through the waiting room and left to get fresh air. The clock in the room read close to 1:00am when Kid Flash made an appearance. And Raven had long drifted to sleep in Beast boy's arms much to his relief.
"Hey, Bumblebee is having complications with the baby." Kid Flash sat on the arm of the couch with his girlfriend in the next room.
Beast boy slightly shifted his body and kept his voice low, "What kind of complications? Is Cy—"
The words barely made sense as Raven stirred in her sleep, "We shouldn't have left Azarath."
Beast boy stroked her lavender hair with his eyes still trained on the speedster, "She's half sleep. What's wrong?"
"The doctor is stressing about the amniotic fluid." Kid Flash stretched his body as he relayed the information to his conscious friend, "He's going to have to speed up her labor."
He decided to ask his question again, "And Cyborg?"
"Worried sick." She struggled to sit up but Kid Flash's hand on her shoulder kept her from doing so, "Raven, Bee doesn't want you in the room with her right now."
"What?" Raven's forehead crinkled in thought and both men were silent as they watched her, "Is it because it's my fault?"
"Hey, it's not your fault. It's no one's fault." Beast boy reassured her and took her warm hand in his, "Life…just happens. She's wants to protect you from the discomfort she's going through."
Kid Flash held up his communicator for emphasis, "Jinx will keep us updated."
Raven watched as Kid Flash sandwiched her in the couch but now she couldn't fall back asleep. The worry turned in her stomach while Kid Flash attempted to take her mind of the situation. The hum of the cartoon channel filled the room along with Aqualad's heavy breathing as he slept. There were too many possibilities and she felt completely left in the dark. Her eyes frequently stared at the clock as it moved at snail's pace and neared 2:00am.
A tinkling sounded from beside Raven and Kid Flash flipped opened his communicator, "Bumblebee's about to deliver."
Only Aqualad, Jinx, and Cyborg had chosen to stay in the maternity room while Bumblebee was about to have the baby. Speedy had ultimately opted out as well as the other titans who decided to wait until the baby was delivered. Though Beast boy had forcefully forbade Raven from stepping beyond the hall that deactivated powers. The slow minutes were agonizing until Aqualad told them they could enter.
Raven clenched her teeth and strained at her barriers, "I can walk on my own, Gar."
"Yeah, I know you can." Beast boy nodded and let his hand fall to his sides, it was obvious that he was blowing the situation out of proportion.
Speedy held open the door as everyone filed into the large room and tried to shake off the stupor of sleep. Raven's eyes scanned the room to see that Bumblebee had her elbow propped on the guardrail with one hand covering her face. Cyborg sat beside her with his face beside her and held onto her other hand. Raven shared a glance with Jinx who looked just as anxious.
"…when the baby was inside of you, he pooped." Doctor Avery informed the new parents and the titans that had recently entered the room, "The baby inhaled it through his nose and took it into his lungs."
Cyborg nodded his head, "Is he going to be alright?"
"Turns out that he didn't need a bypass machine." Doctor Avery said, "But we think he got really lucky and he didn't inhale it. All of his labs are stable."
Bumblebee wiped at her damp eyes and nodded her head, "Okay."
"We got really lucky with him." He said in assurance.
Bumblebee tucked her head down, her brown eyes refusing to make eye contact with anyone. "Does he—is he still sick?"
"He has no temperature. His heart rate's good as well as his blood pressure." Doctor Avery headed towards the door, "Right now he is on close watch and is on an IV to receive antibiotics."
Cyborg finally addressed his friends in the room, "You guys wanna see him?"
Raven nodded her head simultaneously with the rest of the titans and not too long after, a nurse brought the clear incubator into the room. And just as quickly the titans crowded around to see the newborn while Jinx and Menos took pictures. Raven watched as Cyborg's eyes narrowed in on clear equipment.
"Are you sure this is my baby?" He raised an eyebrow and the room almost went silent with a few nervous laughs.
The baby's skin was light with no tan pigment whatsoever. And his small head was covered with thick tufts of hair. His eyes were closed as he slept and Raven stared closely to see his chest rise and fall. He wouldn't clearly resemble either parent until he was at least a few months older.
Beast boy shook his head his eyes wandering to the woman in the hospital bed, "Dude, so not the time to joke."
Mas stood beside Bumblebee and looked on from a distance, "¿Cuál es su nombre? What's his name?"
"We named him Shawn Nathanial Stone." Bumblebee's voice sounded weak and hoarse. "Vic just decided on the middle name two hours ago."
Jinx smiled and moved to take a picture of Cyborg and Bumblebee together, "Congrats you too!"
"He looks kinda cute." Speedy mumbled his eyes settled on the newest addition to the titans, "For a newborn that is."
Cyborg nodded and smiled proudly, his human eye held an emotion that Raven couldn't decipher. "He's seven and half pounds and nineteen inches long."
Raven couldn't fight the infectious smile that overcame her lips as she quietly watched her friends. She didn't want to miss the opportunity to see her 'nephew' in the hospital for the first time. The couple stayed a bit longer and decided on leaving as the morning hours grew later. The flight home from the hospital was warm and quiet. The uneasiness of it all made her second guess her behavior back at the hospital she hadn't been so kind to her husband. Their shared shower was also silent with only a handful of words that had been exchanged.
"Everything's changing." She watched as Beast boy pulled on a black muscle shirt while she leaned against their bathroom sink and washed her face.
He ran his fingers through the tufts of his green hair, "What do you mean?"
She was silent for a moment and struggled to form an answer, "Starfire and Bumblebee are beginning their own families." She paused until she realized that he was listening, "And there's more responsibilities that we need to step up to."
Beast boy pulled her in close to his chest and kissed her on the top of her forehead, "So you're worried about more responsibilities?" His voice was low and only meant for her ears though they were the only two that occupied the whole tower, "Now that doesn't seem like you."
Raven shook her head and droplets of water from her hair fell loose, "I'm also worried that…that I'm losing my family."
He gave a small laugh, "You aren't losing anything, Rae."
She averted her lavender eyes to the small lines in his shirt, "I know I sound selfish but that's how I feel."
The fear was evident even to her own ears as her voice was laced with tears. Her own mother had practically been forced away from her when she was a child. Late night visits with Arella had been short and frequent and even then, she had worried which caused her then uncontrolled powers to lash out. She didn't want to be forgotten and left in the past.
"Hey," He used his finger to lift her chin and all hints of joking was absent, "Look at me. No one is going to stop loving you."
"But—"
"If anything," He cut her off, "Our family is getting bigger. And with that, there is more love to give and receive."
Beast boy pulled away from her and replaced her dark green bath towel on the rung. Raven bit her lip and hung up her wet face towel while Beast boy opened the bathroom door. His hand rested on her waist and he guided her back into their bedroom as it was already late—or early for that matter. He peeled back the comforter and sheets and they both crawled into the large, soft bed. And soon their room was bathed in darkness that seemed to comfort Raven only a little more.
Her eyes met his after much effort of trying to avoid them, "You really believe that?"
Beast boy studied her for far longer than she happened to like, "Are you crying?"
"No." It was too late. Her soft voice had betrayed her and her nose began to sting as tears pricked the corners of her eyes.
Beast boy shifted in the bed until Raven was cradled in his arms and her silent sobs shook through her body. He offered no words of comfort to her as she let her powers shake the room. Instead he rubbed circles into her back and tucked the covers more securely over her body. The memory of the night was soon forgotten by the empath though her counterpart found himself dwelling on the situation far longer than he had intended.
It was mid-morning when Robin and Starfire were expected to return to the tower. Cyborg had only temporarily return earlier that morning to freshen up and to return to the hospital. Raven was seated in front of the large window that overlooked the bay and the city with Beast boy beside her in the form of a cat. His eyes were closed and his body stretched out in the sun patch.
Her stomach hadn't settled and for the past two days it felt as if butterflies had made a permanent home in her stomach. Her husband had easily sensed the change in her scent and voice though nothing he did eased her mind.
"We have returned!" Starfire loudly announced and waddled into the common room. Robin followed in soon after with two small bags that more than likely held their change of clothes. "How have you faired while we were away?"
Raven's hands settled onto the fleece blanket in her lap, "You've only been gone for a night, Starfire."
Beast boy reluctantly shifted back into himself and greeted the newlyweds and grinned wide, "We got ourselves a new titan."
She watched in amusement and covered her mouth in surprise while Robin's eyes widened behind his mask, "Oh how glorious! Where is the little one?"
Raven shared a look with Beast boy, "They're all still in the hospital. There were…complications."
Robin immediately dropped the luggage at the Ops room doors, "What went wrong? Why weren't we informed?"
"Calm down dude." Beast boy shook his head and held his arm out to stop Robin's investigation, "It was your wedding night.
Robin folded his arms over his chest, his mouth set in a frown. "The health of my friends is important."
"And Starfire isn't?" Raven shot back with an unnecessary nasty tone, "You need to worry about her."
Starfire made her way to the couch to rest her feet and shook her head at Robin's behavior. "It is much appreciated, thank you."
Beast boy's eyebrows scrunched together as Raven turned her back on the three titans to stare out the window. Robin wore an equally confused expression on his face before collecting their bags.
"I need to get on the phone." He said, "Starfire is supposed to be induced tonight."
Raven quietly nodded her head and remembered the appointment was to be 7:00pm. With wedding planning, traveling to Tamaran and Azarath in the same night she had almost forgotten. Starfire was already in her 41st week with no baby to welcome home quite yet. All that had changed when Raven had taken the liberty to accompany her friend to one of her appointments.
"Robin does not mean to upset you, Raven." Starfire's voice rang clear in the quiet common room though Raven didn't acknowledge that she had spoken, "He is merely worried."
"Don't worry, I'm sure she knows." Raven sensed Beast boy's aura recede from her and he instead tended to Starfire, "You want anything to eat?"
The redhead declined the polite offer, "I will retire to my room for now."
With some help from the changeling, Starfire was back on her two feet and headed for the opposite wing of the tower that held her and Robin's shared room. The Ops room doors hissed closed and once again the couple was left in silence. Raven gave no indication that anything was wrong and soon excused herself to the gym for her yoga routine. The rest of the evening went on as such with Starfire taking it easy while Robin ran frantic around the tower to make sure everything was in its place. Beast boy had opted to give Raven her space and she was nowhere to be found as it was.
"Beast boy I thought I told you to get the car seat." Robin had his arm around Starfire and was escorting her down to the garage.
It was a half hour until 7:00pm and Beast boy was amused though slightly irritated with their leader, "Its already in the car."
"Just don't forget your wife at the tower." Raven rolled her eyes at the couple though Robin couldn't find the hilarity in her response.
Starfire turned back before the doors closed, "Please do the making of the meal for Peaches."
Beast boy pushed the foot rest out from the couch and settled beside the empath. A minute went by with Raven's eyes never leaving her book and he muted the TV. Even then, she just turned the page in her paperback novel. Without any warning, Beast boy pulled her closer until she was snuggled comfortably in his lap with the armrest cradling her back. Raven raised an eyebrow at him and kept her index finger between her pages as to not lose her pace.
"Are you going to be okay here at the tower?"
She immediately redirected her attention to the small words in the book though she couldn't comprehend the words, "What makes you think I'm not okay?"
Beast boy relaxed his whole body and brushed some of the lavender hair behind her ear, "You didn't seem to take my suggestion so well yesterday."
Raven pursed her lips and finally surveyed her own emotions. She wanted to be there for Starfire as much as she had been for Bumblebee. She didn't want to wait until she saw pictures of the newborn on her communicator but instead to see him in person. A sigh escaped her lips and she let her head rest on Beast boy's chest. No matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't physically tolerate the confines of a hospital for a second time.
"I'm okay, Garfield."
She let the book slip from her fingers and onto the cushion beside her. It was a long shot as she tried to force her body to relax. And in the meantime she would put all problems aside and relish in his presence as two newborns in the tower would be lifechanging for everyone in the days to follow.