Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans.

Ben was elated because he received another A plus. He knew that these grades would get him far in life. After all, he wanted to do something with chemistry. He wasn't sure what yet, but he did have a love for science. He knew he was a loser. He barely had any friends, but he figured that it was okay because friends wouldn't get you anywhere in the long run, or so he thought.

He worked hard for his grades. He knew that Jump City public high school wasn't the best of schools. In fact, it was loaded with drug dealers and people who just didn't care where they ended up in life. However, Ben was different. He had dreams and was ambitious to complete his schooling.

"Bernard Logan, please report to the principal's office immediately." Ben cringed when he heard his full name, Bernard. What was his mother thinking when he was born? Ben hated his full name. Sure it had a pretty good meaning; bold as a bear. Okay, even the meaning of his name was cheesy.

Ben walked quickly to the principal's office. He wondered what he had done though. As far as Ben knew, he was a perfect student and he never got into trouble. He knocked on the door before entering to speak with the principal, Dr. Jonson.

"Bernard, take a seat." Dr. Jonson gestured. Ben sat down in the cushy seat.

"Call me Ben please." Ben said. He didn't want to hear his full name if he didn't have to.

"Alright, Ben. You're probably wondering why you're here, correct?" Ben only nodded. "Well, with your grades, you have the opportunity to go to Jump City's private school. You will definitely benefit from there. The curriculum is much harder, but I think you can handle it."

"I am honored and I would love the opportunity, but I don't think I have the money." Ben wasn't a stupid kid. He knew that school cost a ton of money. Only the rich kids got to go there.

"Money won't be a problem, Ben." Dr. Jonson said. "You will be getting a full scholarship for the remaining years of your high school career." Ben didn't know what to say. He was so happy he had the opportunity to go to the better school. Ben thanked Dr. Jonson and took the papers he and his mother would have to fill out.

At the end of the school day, Ben walked back to the small apartment he and his mother shared. He had to walk ten blocks, but he didn't mind most of the time. Ben liked the exercise anyway and it gave him time to think. He couldn't wait to share the news with his mom.

Ben entered his apartment and saw that his mother was meditating, like usual. However, he knew that she was a little crazy; okay she was insane at times but he needed her to be sane for five minutes to fill out the paperwork. Ben had already filled everything out except for his mother's signature.

"Hey, mom?" Ben said with caution.

"Yes Bernard?" His mom said. She always called him by his full name. He had tried to tell her to call him Ben, but she always called him Bernard and he would have to live with it.

"I need you to sign some things. My grades are so good they are giving me a full scholarship to the private school! They'll give me a free uniform and everything. I just need you to sign this to make it final. I'd be able to start next week!" Ben explained with pure joy written all over his seventeen year old face. His mother, Raven, got up from her position and stood in front of Ben. She ran a hand through her violet hair.

"Do you really want to go to some preppy school?"

"Yeah I do. I'd get a better education there." Ben stated.

"Bernard, why should I sign these papers? Why should I let you go?"

"Mom, please just sign it. It won't affect your life anyway." Ben answered.

"Whatever. Give me a pen." And with that, Raven signed the papers that needed to be signed. After her moment of slight sanity, she went crazy again. "My baby is leaving me. They all leave me."

"Mom, I'm not leaving you for a long time. I'm just going to a different school. I'll be home a little later and have to leave earlier, but I promise I'll still be here for a few more years." Ben assured.

"Everybody leaves." Raven said and with that, she walked into her own room and shut the door. Ben hated how his mother acted. She rarely left the house. The last time he remembered her leaving the house was when she took him to kindergarten. After that, Ben was on his own and from such a young age, he felt as if he was taking care of his own mother. He really wished his father never left them.

After the final week of Jump City's public school, Ben was able to go to the private school. He had to get up an hour earlier to catch the subway because the private high school was about sixty something blocks away from his house and he knew he wouldn't be able to walk that far.

Ben combed his blond hair to what he thought was perfect. He made sure there was no sleep in his bright blue eyes. He put on his school uniform and walked to the subway. Luckily, he got a seat and he got off at the right stop. He walked two blocks and there it was. His new school. The bricks looked red and new unlike the public high school. The school looked much bigger and cleaner. As he walked towards the doors, he noticed there was a front lawn at the school which was very rare for a school in the city.

Ben opened the school doors. The lockers looked much bigger than the ones he was used to. The halls were clean and shiny. Everything seemed perfect in this school. It seemed as if everyone was there to learn.

Ben met his guidance counselor and got his new schedule. Ben was headed to homeroom. He was completely oblivious to his peers. All of a sudden, he bumped into someone. That someone happened to be a girl who fell down once he crashed into her. He stared at her beautiful long black hair for a moment. He reached his hand out towards her to maybe help her up. However, the girl didn't take it and she stood up by herself. "I'm sorry about that."

"No problem." She flashed him a flawless smile and she began walking again as if nothing had happened. Ben was confused, but shook the thought out of his mind. Instead, he continued to homeroom. He found a desk and sat down, waiting for the morning announcements. To his utter surprise, the announcements were on a TV. His other school just announced them over the intercom system. He watched the students that did the morning announcements.

The bell rang and Ben walked to his first class. He sat down in the front row and took out a notebook, eager to take notes for his favorite class of the day, chemistry. "You a new kid?" A brown haired boy asked.

"Yeah. I'm Ben." He was afraid that he would judge him. At his old school, people made fun of him constantly or completely ignored his existence. Ben realized he could start anew in this school.

"Kyle." The boy said and sat down. He seemed like a nice guy. Kyle even asked him to be his lab partner. He told him that he couldn't stand this brunette that was totally in love with him. After class, Kyle began to talk to Ben. "So where are you from?"

"This city. I got a full scholarship here because of my grades. I used to go to the public school." Kyle laughed. Wait, he laughed?

"You went to public school?" He scoffed. Kyle pushed his shaggy hair out of his face. "Umm, about the lab partner thing…I think I'll stick with Carrie, the girl with the brown hair I told you about."

"What's wrong with me?" Ben asked.

"Umm, public school kids are stupid. An A in Jump City public is like a D in this school." With that said, Kyle walked away. Ben thought he would be able to start over, but he realized there was no such use. Kids made fun of him in this school too. Word spread about the dumb kid. He had never been called dumb before. He used to be made fun of because of his brains.

Weeks went by too slow for Ben. He longed for acceptance with these smarter kids. His grades weren't A's anymore. They were becoming Cs. Average. That's all he was. Ben thought he was special because of his high grades but this school just showed him that he was just an average boy in a private school. Word also got out that he was poor. This was a fact. He was known as the average poor kid. And his stupid name, Bernard made people laugh all of the time. No one called him Ben. Everyone called him Bernard. He had dreaded this name since he started preschool. Ben was becoming depressed. He thought the rich and smart kids would be nice but they were a lot meaner and nastier than those public school kids. He was beginning to wish he was back in that old school.

Ben sighed and sat down outside. It was well after school hours and he didn't feel like going home. His mother was becoming even more depressed than she already was. She was cutting herself constantly. He knew one day Raven would not wake up from blood loss. But he knew there was nothing he could possibly do for her. So, Ben took his homework out and began it. It was chemistry. He began to hate the subject. It was becoming too hard and demanding.

"Hey, you're Bernard, right?" A girl said.

"Yeah." Ben didn't even correct people anymore. He just let them call him Bernard.

"Mind if I sit?"

"No." He said. He did mind, but at this point he began to stop caring.

"What brings you here, Bernard?" He finally looked up at the girl. He realized he didn't know who she really was. He knew she was part of the popular crowd so he knew the insults were coming.

"I don't know." Ben simply said. He finally looked at her, knowing that she wouldn't leave. It was the same girl he crashed into on his first day. Her beautiful black hair shined in the sunlight. "What are you doing here?"

"I was on a walk." She said. "What are you doing?"

"Chemistry homework."

"Seems like you're having some trouble." Ben tried to ignore her skin tight shirt that hugged her curves in the right way. He tried to ignore her bright, green eyes.

"Maybe because you keep talking to me." Ben said rather rudely.

"Look, I'm just trying to be nice." The girl said, her smile fading.

"Sure you are." Ben rolled his eyes.

"Bernard, you aren't being very nice to me." She said.

"You aren't being nice to me either."

"I was before you started being mean, Bernard."

"Will you stop saying my name?" Ben practically yelled at her.

"Well then what do you wish for me to call you?" She yelled back.

"Ben."

"Okay, Ben." She calmed down. The anger left her face and happiness was brought back. "Can I help you with your homework then?" Ben knew he was defeated, like always.

"Sure." To his surprise, she explained it in a way that was not confusing to him anymore. After he completed his homework, the two watched the sunset together.

"So what do you plan on doing after high school?" She asked him as the two stared at the beautiful pinks yellows and purples of the sky.

"I wanted to do something with chemistry. But I don't know anymore."

"You totally should Ben. You'd make a good chemist." He shook his head.

"What do you want to do after high school?"

"I want to become a spy or secret agent."

"That's…different." Ben didn't really know what to say to that. Eventually it was time for her to go.

"I'll see you later, Ben!"

"Wait, before you go, tell me your name." Ben said.

"Mari Grayson." She smiled and left.

"Mari Grayson." He whispered to himself. He took his usual root home on the subway. It was about nine when he got back to the apartment. He had to talk to his mother even if she was insane.

"Mom! I have some good news!" Ben ignored the blood dripping from his mom's wrists.

"What?"

"I made a friend at my new school today. I bet you'll never guess who it is!"

"Who is it?" Raven said.

"Mari Grayson. She must be Richard Grayson's daughter!" Raven gasped at the name of Richard Grayson. She knew exactly who he was. They were friends once. Then the Titans split up for good. She hadn't seen him since she left. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all." Raven said and went on the couch and passed out. He wasn't a stupid kid. He knew something was even more off about his mother. He decided to go in her room. She had threatened him to never ever go in there, but he didn't care right now. He knew he was stronger than her anyway. He found an old box under her bed. He blew the dust off. He found a picture of the Teen Titans when they still existed. He saw his mother, a green guy, an alien, a cyborg, and a guy in a traffic light outfit. He saw that the alien slightly resembled Mari. He didn't really know what this huntch meant, but he decided to go pay Mari and her family a visit. By the time he found the stuff though, it was around eleven thirty.

By the time he got to the subway, it was closed. "Perfect." He muttered but began to walk to the Grayson Mansion anyway. It took him hours to say the least. However, on his way over, he got a glimpse of a beautiful girl. He had heard of her. Her name was Nightstar. If his hunch was correct, he knew that it must be Mari Grayson. If Richard Grayson and the alien had Mari, then Mari had to be Nightstar. It just made sense to Ben. The whole reason he was doing this was for his mom, though. He wanted her to get better. And if getting her old friends would help her, then so be it. He just wanted a normal mom and a normal life.

He walked up to the large mansion doors after he jumped the fence. He knew it was well past one in the morning, but he wanted to solve this mystery tonight. If he let his mother's condition worsen he knew she wouldn't make it another week. And maybe he could find something about his father? He sure did hope so, but doubted it. He didn't even know what his father looked like. He knew he was getting off topic, so he rang the doorbell. He stood out there for a good three minutes until a woman with beautiful red hair and green emerald eyes answered the door. She yawned. He immediately knew where Mari Grayson got her looks, if this was her mother of course.

"Hello? Who might you be?" The woman asked. He looked at the picture. This was definitely the alien from the photo. This had to be Starfire.

"I'm Ben. I found this photo." He said, holding it out for her to see. "I was hoping you or someone could tell me about this." Starfire being Starfire let him inside the mansion. She gestured for him to sit down on the expensive white leather couch.

"Can you please explain who you are a bit better?" She asked in a sweet voice. She gave Ben a blanket because he looked so cold. She wondered where he was from and how far he walked to get here.

"I'm Ben Logan. My mom's Raven. She's this one from this photo. And you're Starfire, right?"

"Yes I am. However, I go by Kori now." She smiled.

"Anyway, I live in the apartment building a few blocks from the public high school."

"Oh my, you walked very far to get here."

"Yeah I did. This is urgent that I talk to you. Hopefully you can give me answers."

"I will do my best to assist you." Kori said.

"Well, I should explain myself first. My mom was a former Teen Titan like you. I met Mari Grayson at school umm, today technically speaking. I know this might sound weird, but I got kind of excited that her father is the Richard Grayson so I went home to tell my mom. She got all freaked out about the name Richard Grayson, so I went snooping through her room. I'm not supposed to go in there, but I did anyway. I found this picture in the box of you and the rest of the old team. When I looked at the picture, I saw that Mari looks a lot like you except for the hair. Her eyes gave it away because there's no white in them. I also saw that you were kissing Robin on the cheek and I assumed that you guys were still together. So I concluded that Richard Grayson is Robin well Night wing now. And I think Nightstar is Mari, your daughter, am I right?" Kori didn't really know what to say. She knew that he was correct, but should she tell him? Then she remembered that he was Raven's son.

"That is correct." Kori said.

"Thank God." Ben whispered to himself. "I need your help and your husband's. My mom is literally insane. I can't watch her hurt herself anymore."

"Maybe I can be of assistance tonight?"

"Really?"

"Yes. We can go back to your apartment. I really do wish to see Raven again. I did not know she lived in the city."

"She hasn't left the house in years." Ben admitted. "She's insane, like literally. Well, I think so anyway. She's cutting herself now and I just want a normal mom." Ben began to cry.

"Oh, Ben. She will get better. I will make sure of it." Kori pulled him into a motherly hug. He hugged her back. No one has ever hugged him before. He was glad that Kori was a very nice person. Mari Grayson was a lucky kid.

"Is your husband here? Maybe he can help too?"

"I am sorry but he and Mari are patrolling the city tonight. I will assist you tonight." Kori said.

"That's good." The two walked outside and Ben was shocked when Kori took his hand and picked him up and began to fly. "I have a question."

"Hmm?"

"I was wondering, do you know who my father was? I just know his last name's Logan."

"In the picture you showed me earlier he is the green one. His real name was Garfield Logan but went by Beast Boy. I remember Raven was pregnant with you when he and she left Titan's tower. I am sorry to say, but I do not know much after that. I remember seeing Raven very pregnant one last time and she told me he left. I do not know where. Only your mother knows that. I am truly sorry."

"Oh, it's fine. I'm glad I actually know who he is." Ben said.

"Which is your apartment?"

"That building." Ben pointed to. He was completely oblivious to the flight over to his place. They landed and went up to the apartment. Ben barged into it and shouted for his mother.

"You…you went into my room Bernard. No one ever goes into my room." Raven said. Ben was freaked out. His mother slapped him across the face rather hard.

"Raven! You do not slap him! He did nothing." Kori said and stood in front of Ben.

"Starfire…no…you're…you're gone…just like everyone else…gone…" Raven was beginning to scare Kori.

"Raven, it is I, Starfire. Please let me help you." She used her old name so Raven wouldn't totally freak out.

"It's a lie. She's gone like the others."

"I am right here, Raven. I promise you this is me." Kori pulled Raven into a hug. Ben saw a weird look on his mother's face. Well, it was a normal look. It was as if she knew what was going on. She knew where she was and she knew everything that happened. Raven broke from the hug. Raven screamed out of pure agony. It was odd, but Ben saw Kori hug her tighter and stroke her violet hair. It was about a half an hour until Raven stopped releasing every emotion that was kept inside of her after all of these years. It was a horrific sight.

"Starfire?"

"I go by Kori now." She smiled.

"But you're here and..." A look of pure horror was on Raven's face. "Oh my…Bernard!" Raven said. She realized everything that she had done in the past. She remembered how she was never there for her son and how he had to pick up the pieces at such a young age. "I am so sorry."

"Mom, it's okay. I'm glad you're better now." However, Ben was pondering how a simple hug could change his mom back to a somewhat normal person. Well, she was half demon so things were probably different on how her brain chemistry worked.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you…oh, Bernard." Raven said and hugged her son. "I promise to be here for you. I will be the parent. Don't worry about me anymore." Kori was glad she helped the family, or mother and son, get back together. Out of the corner of Ben's eye in the window, he saw familiar green eyes. She smiled and used a grappling hook to go to another building. It was Mari Grayson.