I don't own Teen Titans, Relient K, or Chronicles of Narnia. Enjoy! God bless!
Family Problems
Terra woke up with a smile on her face as she got out of bed and looked at her calendar. The day was July 21, 2006, Terra's eighteenth birthday. She took a shower, got dressed, and went to meet her friends in the main room. Cyborg was making waffles while the others were sitting at the table eating. Terra entered the room and was greeted by the delicious aroma of Cyborg's waffles. Beast Boy noticed his girlfriend come in and went up to greet her.
"Good morning, my yellow rose, happy birthday," he said sweetly as he kissed her on the cheek.
"Thanks. Good morning to you too," Terra replied as she kissed him back.
"Hey, girl, happy birthday," said Cyborg as he handed Terra a plate of waffles.
"Thanks, Cyborg," Terra smiled. She joined the others and sat next to Beast Boy.
"Happy birthday, Terra!" the others exclaimed as Terra sat down.
"Thanks, guy," said Terra with a smile as she stuffed her face with waffles.
"So, Terra, what do you want to do for your birthday?" asked Beast Boy curiously.
Terra finished her bite of waffle before she answered his question. "Hmm, I don't know. I think I'd mostly just like to spend the day with you," she replied sweetly.
"Okay," said her boyfriend, "we'll go wherever you want, my treat."
"Beast Boy, you don't have to do that," said Terra.
"Come on, it's your birthday. Besides, you deserve it," he said trying to sway her.
The geomancer giggled, "Okay, Beast Boy, you win."
"Just remember to be back at the tower by 5:30," said Robin as Terra nodded and continued eating.
Several minutes after breakfast, Beast Boy met up with Terra at her room. He knocked on the door and she greeted him with a smile. "You ready?" he asked. She nodded, grabbed her communicator, and the two headed for the roof of the tower.
"Where to first?" asked Beast Boy as soon as they got to the roof.
Terra shrugged, "I don't know, how about the park?"
"Your wish is my command, my lady," said Beast Boy as he bowed jokingly.
His girlfriend giggled as he morphed into a pterodactyl and she mounted. Then he spread out his wings and headed for the park. Once they got there, Beast Boy let her get off before he changed back. Terra laced her hand with his as they started their walk.
"Remind me to do something like this for you for your birthday," Terra said with a grin.
Beast Boy grinned and nodded, "Okay."
They walked for a few hours before they started to get hungry. Beast Boy realized it was lunch time and turned to his girlfriend. "So, where would you like to go for lunch?" he asked her. Terra stopped to think.
"How about the pizza place?" she shrugged.
"Okay," said Beast Boy as they headed for their favorite pizza place.
Once they got there, Terra ordered one supreme pizza with extra anchovies and a Cherry Coke (A/N: Remember "Things Change?" It was her favorite. Plus Tianimalz gave me the idea for the Cherry Coke). Beast Boy ordered a cheese pizza and a root beer. Terra didn't want Beast Boy to have to pay for both of them, but he insisted. While he paid for the food and drinks, Terra chose a spot for them to sit. Once their pizzas came, they started to chow down. As they ate, Beast Boy had something on his mind and he looked up at Terra.
"If you don't mind me asking," he said not trying to be rude, "why don't you like having people pay for you?"
Terra looked startled by the question at first, but answered it anyway. "You remember how I told you that I ran away from home when I was twelve?" Beast Boy nodded as she continued. "Well, I had been on my own for so long, I just got used to doing things for myself. I like being able to take care of myself, you know?"
"I'm just trying to be nice," Beast Boy added in gently.
"I know you are," said Terra, "and I truly appreciate it. I'm just used to doing things for myself and for others. Looking out for myself and looking out for my friends so when it's your birthday, I'm paying."
"Okay, if you insist" sighed Beast Boy jokingly. "So, do you ever miss your old home?"
"Not really," said Terra trying not to be disrespectful. "I mean, yeah I miss my family and all, but I don't really think I want to go back. It doesn't feel like home anymore. This is where I belong. Titans Tower is my home, and you guys are my family, you know?"
Beast Boy nodded, "Yeah, I see what you mean." He paused for a moment. "So, after lunch, what do you want to do?"
Terra had a small grin on her face. "Well, I kind of wanted to go to the diner we went to on our first date and have some of that apple pie."
"You got it," said Beast Boy with a broad smile, and they finished their food.
Beast Boy turned into a pterodactyl again as Terra got on and they headed for the diner. Once they reached the diner, Beast Boy made sure he got to the door first so he could open it for Terra. She giggled as she thanked him and went inside. The two teens sat down at the stool counter table as the waitress greeted them with a smile.
"Well hello there, Hun," said Pam to Terra, "I haven't seen you in a while."
"Hey, Pam," said Terra with a smile, "we'll just get the usual."
Pam nodded as she went to fill out their order and Beast Boy pulled out his money. The waitress returned two minutes later with two slices of apple pie with whipped cream on top. They were given two spoons as they each took a bite and savored the mouth-watering taste.
"So what brings you here, Hun?" asked Pam.
"Well, today's my birthday, and my boyfriend and I wanted to come here for some of your famous pie," Terra said winking.
"It's your birthday?" Pam exclaimed, "How old are you, Hun?"
"Eighteen," said Terra with a slight blush knowing how Pam would react.
"Eighteen? My goodness, child, you've gotten to be so grown up," said Pam with a smile.
Terra's blush deepened as she thanked the waitress for the complement. Next thing Terra knew, Pam had gotten out a candle and a lighter. She placed the candle on the pie and lighted it.
"Make a wish, Hun," Pam whispered as she winked to Terra and went back to work.
The geomancer mused over this for a moment before she blew the candle. Once the candle was out she set it down on the side of her plate. She turned to her boyfriend who had already eaten more than half of the pie.
"You wanna know what I wished for?" she asked with a giggle and swung back and forth on her stool.
"Aren't you supposed to keep it a secret?" asked Beast Boy raising an eyebrow.
"I know, but I just wanted to tell you," Terra replied.
"Okay, what did you wish for?" asked Beast Boy.
"That you and I would always be together no matter what," said Terra softly with a smile.
Beast Boy smiled as he kissed Terra on the cheek. "I love you, Terra," he whispered.
Terra smiled as she kissed him back. "I love you too, Beast Boy," she whispered.
They finished their pie and said good bye to Pam, leaving her a tip, and headed back to the tower. Once they got back, Terra and Beast Boy kept themselves occupied in her room. They listened to Relient K and talked as they waited for it to be 5:30.
"So, what did you like about Markovia?" asked Beast Boy. Shortly after her return, Terra told Beast Boy everything about her life. She didn't want to keep any secrets from him, no matter how hard it was. Terra shrugged, "I don't know, probably hanging out with my brother Brion. See, my oldest brother Greg was being trained to be king, but he didn't want to be at the time. So he decided instead to explore different parts of Europe with one of our guardians, and left before Brion and I got our powers. My father thought it would increase his knowledge, so he let him do it. During that time, my father started training Brion to be king in case Greg never took the throne. I started to miss having Brion around as often as I used to, so any chance I had to spend time with him became more important. He was the only one who trained with me after we got our powers. Finally, when I was twelve, Greg came back and decided that he wanted to be king again. Shortly after that, the earthquake happened, and I ran away."
Some time after Terra had rejoined the Titans, her half-brother Brion came looking for her in Jump City. He had heard about her being a Teen Titan and found her. Since he couldn't convince her to return to Markovia, he simply reported to his parents that she was alive and well. Now he would visit her from time to time to make sure that she was safe. The two teens listened to music for a little longer until it was time for Terra to get ready. Beat Boy left to give her some privacy as he went to his room to get ready himself. Terra wore a red halter top dress that tied in the back and went two inches above her knees. She also wore a pair of black high heels and pulled her hair in a bun minus her two shorter locks. Then she took her silver butterfly clip and placed it in her hair. Beast Boy changed into a maroon button down shirt, black dress pants, and black dress shoes. Terra had just finished making sure she looked nice when she heard a knock on her door. She opened the door to find Beast Boy as she gave him a smile.
"Wow, Terra, you look great," he said as he admired her outfit.
"Thanks, so do you" said Terra with a blush.
"Thanks, so are you ready to go?" he asked.
Terra nodded as he offered her his arm which she graciously accepted as they joined the others in the main room. Robin was wearing a dark red button down shirt, black dress pants, and black dress shoes. Starfire wore a lavender tank top, a black skirt three inches above her knees, and black high heels. Raven wore a sleeveless royal blue dress with a slanted skirt (A/N: One side was longer than the other). She also wore a sterling silver dove pendent necklace and black pumps. Cyborg was wearing a blue button down shirt, black dress pants, and black dress shoes. (A/N: Sorry they all sound alike, but black goes with everything, duh.) Their friend Kat who they had known for years was also with them to celebrate Terra's birthday. She was wearing a rose pink top with a V neck and medium length sleeves, a black skirt, and black pumps. All eyes fell upon Terra as she and Beast Boy entered the room arm in arm.
"Happy birthday, Terra, you look awesome!" exclaimed Kat as she went up to hug her best friend.
"Thanks, Kat, so do you," said Terra with a slight blush.
"So, is everyone ready to go?" asked Robin.
The others nodded as they headed for the garage. Starfire rode with Robin on his R-cycle while Cyborg drove the others in the T-car. Their destination was a nice Italian restaurant. After they had eaten dinner, Kat handed Terra a small silver box.
"This is for you for your seventeenth birthday," Kat told her. "It was Beast Boy's idea, and we all chipped in to pay for it." Terra opened the small box to find a sterling silver butterfly necklace with the two ends of the chain attached to each wing.
She gasped in awe at the stunning necklace and fastened it around her neck, which went very well with her hairclip. She thanked her friends and opened her other gifts from them. Terra thanked each of her friends for their gifts as Kat presented her with another small box. This box was a little smaller than the silver one and it was white.
"This is for your eighteenth birthday. My mom started this tradition with me, and I wanted to pass it on to my friends for their eighteenth birthdays," Kat explained.
Terra opened the small white box and was completely stunned by what she found inside. It was a sterling silver heart-shaped pendent with genuine rubies outlining it. She knew Kat, Raven, and Starfire each had one just like it; except theirs' were blue topaz, amethyst, and peridot. Terra smiled as she hugged Kat and thanked her for the beautiful necklace. Once they were done, they all went back to Titans Tower for cake and watched "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe." Afterwards, Kat wished Terra a happy birthday again and Cyborg took her home.
Once Cyborg returned home, the Titans decided it was time to go to bed. They wished Terra a happy birthday and went to their rooms. Beast Boy offered to walk Terra to her room to which she accepted. They walked down the halls together in silence until they came to Terra's room.
"Thank you, Beast Boy," Terra said as she hugged him, "I had a great time today. I'm glad I got to share it with you."
"You're welcome, Terra. I'm glad you did," Beast Boy smiled.
Terra smiled as she kissed him on the lips. "Good night, Beast Boy, I love you."
"Good night, Terra, I love you too. Happy birthday," Beast Boy replied.
Three days later, Terra went about her daily routine. She took a shower, got dressed for the day, and went to the main room for breakfast. As she walked through the hallway, she met up with Beast Boy on her way to the main room. He gave her a quick good morning kiss and they walked together to go have breakfast. They greeted the others as Terra served herself some food while Beast Boy set out to make his own. The Titans were in the middle of eating when the alarms detected that they had a visitor. Robin went to the door to go see who was. He returned with none other than Terra's older half-brother Brion, a.k.a. Geo-Force.
"Brion, what are you doing here?" asked Terra excitedly as she ran up to greet her twenty-one year old brother.
"Can't a guy come to wish her younger sister a happy birthday?" Brion asked as he hugged his sister. He was a little taller than Starfire, had sky blue eyes, and slightly spiked blond hair (A/N: If you've seen the picture of him from jodi-seer on deviant art, that's exactly what he looks like. Plus he has a hint of Russian in his English accent.) "I also have a letter for you from our parents," he told her, though he didn't sound too pleased.
Terra gave him a confused look and took the letter. The letter was from her father, and this is what it said:
Dear Tara,
First of all, we are pleased to hear that you are in good health and are doing well. Secondly, in honor of your eighteenth birthday, we would like to say congratulations. We would also like to inform you that we shall be hosting a ball on the twenty-ninth of July this yea in your honor. Both of us insist that you attend, and we permit you to bring any guests that you wish to also attend. They are permitted to their own gown and uniform. You are also permitted to select any gown of your choice, or have one provided for you. This ball shall be held in honor of your eighteenth birthday, as well as for you to select a future husband. All of the young men that shall be present come from respectable, wealthy, and well-groomed families. They are also all very enthusiastic to make your acquaintance. Your mother and I are doing this for you as well as the welfare of your future. Your brother has informed us of your relationship with the "green shape-shifter" with which I am most unpleased. I advise to you that you break off this relationship as soon as possible. In spite of this, we hope that you will accept our invitation, and hope to see you in the next few days. We wish you and your guests a safe journey.
Sincerely, King Viktor of Markovia
"Future husband!" exclaimed Terra as soon as she had finished reading the letter. "They're expecting me to find a future husband! I just turned eighteen!" Terra threw her arms up in the air with frustration and dropped the letter in the process. "Typical," she sneered. "This is just like him. Saying that he is doing something for my "wellbeing" when it's really only so that I won't ruin the family name. I'm allowed to live on my own doing Heaven-knows-what for six years. But I can't decide who I'm going to spend the rest of my life with? This can't be happening!" Then she turned and stared angrily at Geo-Force. "How long have you known about this?" she asked.
Geo-Force hung his head. "Since last month when they started planning this," he told her.
"And you just allowed them to go through with it and didn't even tell me?" she asked. She felt betrayed.
"Terra, I had no choice," he protested. "There was nothing I could do, I'm sorry. I disagree with this as much as you do I wish I had told you sooner."
"But you didn't do anything to try and stop them," Terra accused with tears in her eyes.
"Of course I tried to stop them," Geo-Force argued. "But it's like Father told me. He was doing this for you. He wanted to make sure you were taken care of and looked after."
"Oh, so now he cares about me?" asked Terra with distrust, "Since when has he ever cared about my future? He was always busy thinking about you and Greg. He never cared about me, not even when I ran away."
"That's not true, Terra, and you know that," Geo-Force objected. "He does care about you."
"No," Terra protested, "all he cares about is that I don't make him look like a mockery!"
The Titans stared with confusion as they watched the two siblings argue until they picked up the letter and read if for themselves. Their eyes became the size of dinner plates after they finished reading the letter. Beast Boy went over to Terra and held her in his arms. They had only been dating for four months and two-and-a-half weeks. He couldn't believe that Terra's parents were doing this to her. Tears fell down Terra's eyes as she felt helpless. Her parents disapproved of her relationship with Beast Boy, and wanted her to choose someone else. She ran to her room and Beast Boy followed her. The other Titans watched Terra leave the room and then turned to her brother.
"Geo-Force, why are they making her do this?" asked Robin with concern.
"She's eighteen now. Shouldn't she have the freedom to make her own choices?" asked Raven who was equally concerned.
"They still want her to marry someone else," said Geo-Force sadly. "My parents…are rather strict when it comes to who their children marry, especially Tara. They want her to be married into a wealthy family. It was different for my brother and me."
"They can't do this!" shouted Terra as she cried on her bed while Beast Boy tried to comfort her.
"Can't you just tell them that you're an adult?" asked Beast Boy with deep concern on his face. He was also deeply hurt that her parents wanted her to break off their relationship.
"It wouldn't matter," Terra sighed, "they won't listen. It doesn't matter with the monarchy."
"Why are your parents so determined that you marry someone who's rich and comes from a "well-groomed family"?" he asked.
"Because it's all about politics," Terra replied with a sniff. "My mother came from a wealthy family from Germany. She made a "good match" with my father because she was an aristocrat. They want me to marry someone with money and power, not a superhero. To them, that's not good enough." (A/N: Hope this all makes sense.)
Terra was lying on her stomach with her arms crossed covering her face. Beast Boy was sitting next to her with his feet hanging over the edge rubbing her back, trying to soothe her. He turned to lie on his right side so he could hold her and look her in the face. Beast Boy wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face into her hair as he took in her scent. Terra turned on her left side and wrapped her arms around him waist as she buried her face into his chest while he held her. He kissed her forehead and lifted her chin with his left hand so he could look her in the eye.
"Terra, I love you. I'm not going to let them take you away no matter what," he told her firmly. "I've already lost you once. I'm not going to lose you again. I promise, Terra."
She gave him a weak smile until she buried her face into his chest again and cried harder. They lay like that for several more minutes until Terra stopped crying and simply rested her head against her boyfriend's chest with her eyes closed. Suddenly, they heard a knock on Terra's door. They both shot up as Terra quickly wiped her face of her tears and answered the door. The sliding door opened, and Geo-Force stood in the doorway. Terra was about to say something angry towards him, but before she had the chance, he pulled her into a hug. She was caught completely off guard and at first her eyes went wide with shock. Then she gave into her brother's embrace and hugged back.
"Terra, I wanted you to know that I'm here for you," Brion told her, "and I'm not going to let them marry you off to some rich, stuck-up pretty-boy. In fact, I'd rather see you married to that green goofball over there."
The blonde geomancer giggled despite the circumstances and looked up at her brother. "That's why I always looked up to you, Brion," she told him. "You're always looking out for me."
Brion smiled as he hugged his sister tighter and looked up at Beast Boy. He had to admit that he didn't approve of Terra dating the green Titan at first. Now he was grateful that Beast Boy was in a part of his sister's life. He could see how happy he made her and how much he meant to her, and that's all that mattered to him.
"I guess we're going to have to face them," said Terra.
"Are you sure?" asked Beast Boy with concern. "What if they still won't approve of us?"
"We'll make them see that this is where I belong," said Terra with confidence in her voice.
That afternoon, they called their friend Kat and told her what was going on. She was furious to hear that Terra's parents wanted her to break up with Beast Boy and marry someone else. Terra had become like a sister to her, and she didn't want some, as Geo-Force called them, "rich, stuck-up pretty-boy" to ruin Terra's life.
"I'll be praying for you. And if any guy tries to mess with you, you just let me know and I'll be there in a heartbeat," said Kat with a mischievous look on her face.
"Thanks, Kat," she said with a giggle.
"Okay, so they're making you wear some "gown" for this dance they're holding for you right?" the geomancer nodded in reply. "So, why not wear your prom dress? It's perfect for occasions like this. In fact, you all can wear your prom dresses," said Kat to all the girls. (A/N: The Titans went to Kat's senior prom. Don't ask.)
"Kat, that's genius!" Terra exclaimed. She wasn't about to wear something that her parents had picked out for her.
"Yeah, I know," said Kat with a smirk.
The next two days were spent packing and preparing for the trip to Markovia. Terra was happy to see her family again…for the most part. However, something about returning to Markovia made her feel very uncomfortable. It was as though she was leaving her home –her real home. They left on the twenty-seventh so that they could get there early on the twenty-eight. It was a long journey, but they finally made it. Geo-Force led them through the streets of the small country to the palace. They weren't as modern as most countries, for they had kept themselves hidden for centuries. The country folk gave Terra strange, mean, and frightened glares. This told Terra that they hadn't forgotten the earthquake that she had caused six years ago. Some of the young children gave her more friendly looks, which gave Terra some relief, but not much. Terra looked around and saw all eyes following her with their cold stares as she held Beast Boy's hand for support.
"Didn't know people could hold a grudge for so long," Terra whispered to Beast Boy, and he squeezed her hand a little tighter.
"Don't worry, Terra," Beast Boy reassured her. "Everything's going to be fine."
Meanwhile, the Titans were getting their own fair share of strange looks from the country people. After walking for about an hour, they came to the gates of the castle. Once inside, the Titans stared in amazement as Brion led them through the long hallways. Their luggage was taken to their rooms while they were to meet the king and queen.
As they got closer to the throne room a young man with blond hair and ocean blue eyes walked down the halls. He wore formal cloths and looked twenty-three years of age. The minute Terra's eyes fell upon him she grinned and ran up to him.
"Greg!" she cried out as the young man looked up and stared with disbelief.
"Tara, is that you?" Greg exclaimed as he reached out to hug his younger sister (A/N: The Russian in his English accent is a little deeper). "Tara, you've grown up so much. It's been so long."
"I know," replied Terra trying to hold back the tears.
"Brion, good to see you again," said Greg as he gave his brother a handshake. "I see you've brought Tara home safe and sound. Come, our parents wish to meet you all," he said to the guests as he led them to the throne room.
They came to the throne room where the king and queen were seated on their thrones. The king had dark blond hair, ocean blue eyes, and was dressed in royal blue with a gold crown on his head. His wife had blonde hair like Terra's with sky blue eyes and was wearing red with a gold tiara. They had some grey hair, but other than that they didn't look a day over forty-five.
"Introducing King Viktor and Queen Ramona of Markovia," announced a servant as they guests approached and bowed before them.
The king and queen nodded as they were permitted to rise. They stood up and walked down the short set of steps of the platform on which their thrones stood. Ramona's eyes were filled with tears as she embraced her daughter.
"Oh, Tara," she exclaimed as she held her daughter tightly, "I've missed you so much."
"I've missed you too, Mom," said Terra softly.
"Tara, it's been a long time. Six years in fact," said her father with a deep Russian accent.
So, who are your friends?"
Terra's mother let go of her daughter as her husband spoke and Terra looked up at her father. She had a hard time keeping eye contact with his penetrating stare. The geomancer simply nodded in reply to her father's comment and turned towards her friends.
"These are my friends and teammates the Teen Titans, Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, Raven, and Beast Boy," Terra explained.
The queen nodded and smiled sweetly. "Welcome to Markovia," she told them.
Her husband caught sight of Beast Boy and recognized him immediately. "So, this is the boy Brion told us about. The shape-shifter," he said to Terra.
"Viktor, this isn't the time," his wife whispered sharply as two young women and a small child entered the room.
"Presenting Princess Alyssa, her daughter Esther, and Lady Denise," announced the servant. (A/N: I don't really care about the comics; I just use them to get some idea of who people are. Remember, this isn't the comics.)
Alyssa, Greg's wife, had brunette hair and hazel-green eyes and wore an emerald green dress. She looked to be about twenty-two. Her daughter was three and had brunette hair and ocean blue eyes. She was wearing a rose pink dress. Denise was twenty-one, had black hair with brown eyes, and wore a burgundy dress. The three ladies bowed as the guests did the same. Alyssa walked up to Greg with her daughter and stood next to him as Christina did the same with Brion.
"You must be Tara," Alyssa said with a smile. "Greg has told me so much about you. This is my daughter Esther. Esther, this is your Aunt Tara."
The little girl looked up at her new aunt and instead of saying "hello," she reached up and gave her a hug. Terra smile as she bent down and hugged her new niece.
"Tara, it's very nice to meet you. I'm Denise Howard, Brion's fiancée," Denise said with a kind smile as she offered a handshake.
"It's very nice to meet you," said Terra politely as she accepted the gesture.
"If you will excuse us," said the king, "we wish to speak with Tara alone."
"Come with me," said Brion, "I'll show you your rooms."
The others followed, but not before they each gave Terra a look of concern. They could only imagine what her parents were about to talk about. Terra watched as her friends left the room and felt helpless once more. She wanted Beast Boy to be with her, but she knew that her parents wouldn't allow it. From what she could tell, her parents, especially her father, didn't even like him being there. As soon as the doors closed, the discussion began.
"Lord, give me strength," Terra whispered.
"Your friends seem quite nice," said the queen.
Terra nodded, "Thanks, they are. They've been looking after me for a long time now."
"What on earth are you wearing?" asked the king as he sounded disappointed with his daughter.
"It's my uniform," Terra answered bluntly. "And before you get any ideas, I haven't done anything wrong." To prove her point, she removed her left glove to reveal a sterling silver ring. It had the words "True love waits" engraved on it and she wore it where a wedding ring would be. "It's a purity ring," Terra explained, "which means that I've made a promise that I'm going to wait until I'm married to have sex."
The queen nodded with approval. "That's a very wise goal to have." Terra nodded as she put her glove back on.
"I assume that your powers are under control by now," said her father changing the subject.
"Well, not entirely," Terra explained nervously rubbing the back of her neck, "but I've gotten a lot better thanks to my friends."
"See, Viktor? She's able to take care of herself. We don't make her do this," the queen whispered.
"Silence, Ramona," her husband whispered back as he turned to Terra. "And what do you have to say about that boy you're dating? Have you broken it off with him yet?" he asked as he raised an eyebrow.
"Beast Boy is my best friend, and no, I haven't," Terra said coldly. "He's the one who never gave up on me. He loves me. Every day he tells me that he loves me. He's been there for me so many times and I owe a lot to him. I love him. Why can't you just accept him?"
"Because he's got green skin, pointed ears, and fangs," her father answered with a hint of disgust. "We have no idea who his parents are or if they're even alive. We know nothing about him. Who ever heard of someone having green skin?"
"He's never going to be good enough for you, is he?" Terra asked accusingly as she had a sudden flashback of a similar event.
Flashback:
Terra was dressed in her Slade uniform and was in a fight with Robin after she had eliminated the other Titans. He had her pinned to a fence until she flipped him and had pinned him to the fence.
"I'm never going to be good enough for you, am I?" she asked in rage.
End of Flashback:
"Watch your tone, young lady," snapped her father.
"Viktor, explain to her why we're doing this," said her mother sounding upset.
"Tara, we are doing this for you. We aren't expecting you to get married right now, but we just want to leave this earth knowing that you'll be taken care of," her father explained firmly. "That boy isn't right for you. You belong here."
"No I don't!" Terra argued. "I belong with the Titans and with Beast Boy. "I don't need some rich guy taking care of me. I've been taking care of myself for six years! And as for Beast Boy, you know nothing about him, but I know everything I need to know. So don't you dare tell me he isn't right for me!" she quickly became aggravated. "Forget this. I've had enough of this bull crap," she declared, and stormed out.
"You come back here right now, young lady," her father ordered, but she ignored his words.
"Ramona, you know why we're doing this. We are doing this so that she can live the life that she deserves to live. That boy isn't good enough for her. We are her parents. We know what she needs."
"Viktor, we haven't seen her in six years. How do we know what she needs? She's eighteen now," said the queen.
Meanwhile, Terra stormed through the halls until she came to a familiar hallway with a set of double doors that she was very familiar with. She opened the doors and came to her old room. Terra examined everything in it, from the color of the walls to every piece of furniture. She turned to her dresser and saw the sterling silver picture frame that had a picture of her family in it turned over. The geomancer sighed as she remembered the reason why it was like that.
Flashback:
Twelve-year-old Tara Markov had just caused a massive earthquake earlier that day. It had caused immense destruction to her country. She was going through her room in search of supplies: cloths, food, and any personal items that she wanted to take with her. The only things she took from her room were a few cloths, her goggles, and her butterfly hair clip. She turned to her dresser where her hair clip had been, and saw the picture of her family in it. The picture was of her father, her mother, her brothers Greg and Brion, and her all standing together. Terra frowned with disgust as she saw her father's face. A few minutes ago, she had heard him yelling at his wife. He talked about the damage that she had caused and how much it was going to cost them financially and politically.
'What are the other countries and kingdoms going to think when they realize that a twelve-year-old girl destroyed nearly half a country? Everyone will be up in arms.'
Those words brought more tears to her eyes as she turned the picture over. "I don't belong here," she whispered sadly as she snuck towards the royal kitchen for more supplies.
End of Flashback:
"Oh, Terra, there you are. I thought I might find you here," said a familiar voice. Terra turned around to see Brion as he poked his head in the door. "Come on, I've got the course set up. The others want to see our training course."
Once they got out to the open field in the court yard where the obstacle was, the Titans went up to Terra to greet her. They all gave her curious looks that seemed to ask "Are you alright?" She gave them a reassuring smile as she went to the starting point of the course. Before she started, she saw her entire family, including her father, standing at a distance watching her.
"What are they all doing here?" Terra asked Geo-Force.
"They wanted to see what you can do," he told her.
"Great," sighed Terra with sarcasm.
"Just remember what I've taught you," said Raven. "Find your center, concentrate on your energies, and relieve yourself of any stress that you're feeling."
"Besides, you can do it," Beast Boy chimed in. "You've done this a million times."
Terra nodded to what Raven told her, and giggled to what Beast Boy said. She calmed herself down and blocked all the stressful thoughts from her mind. Terra took a deep breath and nodded to Geo-Force to begin the course. He pushed a button to start it as Terra ran towards the first obstacle. She summoned a large bolder as she dodged a series of arrows shooting at her. (A/N: I'm making this up as I go along.) There were enormous rock fists shooting up from the ground. As Terra dodged every obstacle, the Titans were rooting her on, louder than ever.
"COME ON, TERRA!" Beast Boy screamed, "YOU CAN DO IT!"
"ONWARD TO VICTORY!" shouted Starfire.
"Go Terra!" cried Raven. She wasn't that much of a screamer…most of the time.
"BOO-YA! YOU GO GIRL!" yelled Cyborg.
"WAY TO GO, TERRA! YOU'RE DOING AWESOME!" exclaimed Robin.
The geomancer heard her teammates' cries of support, and she felt boundless confidence build up inside her. She finished the course with the best time she had ever had and didn't make a single mistake. As Terra joined the others, they still cheered her on and congratulated her on a job well done. The king and queen watched with amazement at how supportive her team was, and saw how much she had truly improved.
"Maybe we were wrong about her powers after all," said the queen with a smile on her face.
"Yes," the king admitted, "but that doesn't change how I feel about her dating that boy."
That afternoon, right after practice, Terra and her friends had lunch as they discussed what was to take place the next day. Brion had given them the details about the dance and what was required of them. He also gave them a tour of the castle and pointed out where everything was so that they wouldn't get lost. While on the tour, the Titans saw something that they never thought they'd see. They saw a picture of Terra appearing to be the age of seven wearing a pink dress and a tiara on her head. Her two step-brothers stood behind her, youngest in the front and oldest in the back. The boys struggled to stifle their giggles and laughs. Terra sent them a death glare that said "Say one word and I'll kill you." Starfire mentioned how lovely Terra looked while Raven simply smirked. (A/N: She doesn't mind wearing dresses; it's just that she doesn't like pink.) Cyborg snickered as he took a quick picture to show Kat when they got back.
In the evening, the Titans had dinner and Terra showed them the ball room where the dance was to take place. The room was enormous with various pictures and statues everywhere. Servants and workers were busy decorating the room for the celebration. There was a staircase with a half a dozen stairs where Terra was to be presented. She groaned when she thought about how she would walk down those steps in high heels. Terra had gotten better with wearing heels, but she didn't like being in them for too long. Finally it was time for the Titans to go to bed as they all said good night and found their rooms.
Terra found she was unable to get to sleep as she studied her room once again. She had a queen size bed, a walk-in closet, and various pictures hanging on the walls. (A/N: You'll have to use your imagination.) The geomancer was so deep in thought with memories that she didn't even hear the knock on the door the first time. She heard the second knock and she answered the door to discover Beast Boy. They had not changed into their pajamas for they couldn't sleep. Terra looked confused at first, but was relieved that she could have someone to talk to. She looked up and down the halls to see if anyone was around before she invited him in.
"Beast Boy, what are you doing here?" asked Terra worried they'd get caught and yet happy to see him.
"I couldn't sleep," Beast Boy replied. "I also wanted to make sure you were okay. So, this is your old room? It's…nice."
Terra smiled for a minute then nodded to Beast Boy's question. "Thanks. I never really liked it though. It makes me miss my old room."
Beast Boy caught sight of the silver picture frame on the dresser and examined it. He turned to Terra and pointed to it. "So I'm guessing this is you and your family?"
The blonde's eyes fell on the picture and she gave him a nod. "That was us, before things changed."
"What do you mean?" asked Beast Boy as he set the picture back on the dresser.
"That picture was taken before Greg left and Brion and I got our powers. Before all the real problems started," Terra explained sadly.
"Well," said Beast Boy rubbing the back of his neck and feeling uncomfortable, "I'm going to let you get to bed. You need your sleep. Good night, my yellow rose. I love you."
Terra managed to give him a smile. "Yeah, good night, I love you too," she said as she gave him a kiss on the lips good night. Then she carefully opened the door and made sure the cost was clear as she let Beast Boy out.
"Good night," he whispered again as he stole a kiss from her.
"Good night," she whispered back.
The next morning was business as usual as everyone got up to get dressed and eat breakfast. During breakfast, Brion told Terra that their parents wanted to talk to her. She looked up at her friends with worry clearly painted on her face. Terra simply nodded to Brion and left the room. Beast Boy had a feeling that he knew why Terra was worried. He had a feeling that she thought that someone had seen them the night before. Terra walked down the halls until she came to her parent's throne room. Her presence was announced as the king and queen ordered her to enter. She walked up to them with a worry in the back of her mind. The king cleared his throat as he prepared to tell her the news.
"Tara," he said firmly, "It has come to our attention that you still haven't broken off your relationship with the green shape-shifter. You need to do this before tonight when our guests arrive."
"What?" cried Terra, "You're expecting me to just dump him like that?"
"Either that, or we shall do it for you," said her father.
"But this isn't fair! I didn't come all this way just to break up with my boyfriend. I came here so I could see you guys and get this dance over with so you could leave me alone," Terra stated.
"Hold your tongue," her father bellowed.
"Tara, please," her mother insisted. "You can't be searching for a future husband while you're still seeing someone."
"But I don't want a future husband," Terra protested. "I just turned eighteen a few days ago. That makes me a legal adult. Why can't I make my own choices?"
"Tara, for six years you've been out on your own, and we've allowed that. But now it's time for you to take your place in society," her father scolded.
"Well I've had it up to here with society!" Terra exclaimed as she lifted her hand a few inches over her head to prove her point. "Mom, didn't you have any boyfriends you really cared about before you met Dad?"
"One or two," her mother admitted. "But if given the choice, I would have married your father all over again."
"But that's not me!" Terra argued, "I belong with the Titans. In America, there's a city that needs our help. That's what we do. We save people. Isn't that why Brion and I got our powers? Was it to save people, or be a part of your experiment?"
"SILENCE!" her father roared as it sent a chill down Terra's spine. "You are to break off your relationship with that green…Titan. Or else we will ship your friends back to America and demand that you stay here. That is an order! Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, sir," Terra whispered. She lowered her head so that they couldn't see her tears.
Her father let out a heavy sigh. "You are dismissed."
Terra walked out of the room as fast as she could without making a scene. As soon as the doors were closed she bolted down the halls. She had to find her friends –especially Beast Boy.
"Don't you think that might have been a little harsh?" asked the queen after a moment of silence.
"Ramona, sometimes you just have to put your foot down," the king replied. The queen simply let out a sigh.
The geomancer ran as fast as her feet could carry her as heavy tears streamed down her face. She couldn't believe what she had just heard as she replayed the conversation over and over again in her head. Suddenly, as she came to the court yard, she bumped into Beast Boy. He took one look at her and knew that there was something horribly wrong. The green boy held her in his arms for a moment before he asked her any questions.
"Terra, what's wrong? What did they say?" he asked with worry written all over his face.
"I…I need to talk to you alone," said Terra.
Beast Boy nodded and followed her to her old room. They walked down the long halls until they came to the double doors. Once inside, they shut the doors behind them and sat on the bed. For the first couple of minutes, Beast Boy allowed Terra to cry to let her get out her emotions. He had his arms wrapped loosely around her waist as she cried on his shoulder. Once her tears had stopped falling, he asked her what was wrong.
"Did they find out about last night?" Beast Boy asked gently.
"No, it's not that," replied Terra as she shook her head.
"What is it then?" he asked.
"They…they want us to break up before the dance. Or else they'll send you back to America and I will be forced to stay here," said the geomancer.
"What?" cried Beast Boy, "Can they do that?"
"I guess so," said Terra.
"Then what do we do?" asked Beast Boy.
"What else can we do?" asked Terra.
"So, this is it," said Beast Boy as he now understood.
"I don't want it to end this way," said Terra as a few tears fell from her eyes.
"Don't worry, Terra. No matter what happens, the others and I will be here for you," Beast Boy said firmly as he pulled her a little closer.
Terra didn't want to leave the room. She wanted to stay with Beast Boy. With him, she felt safe and secure. She silently prayed for wisdom and comfort as they stayed in that position for several more minutes. They agreed to tell the others, and they went to go find their friends. Once they found them, the Titans frowned with disappointment to what they heard. They did their best to comfort their friends, and they hoped that it wouldn't end this way. The day seemed to go by a lot slower than the day before and was spent mostly in silence. Beast Boy and Terra spent most of their time in the courtyard while Brion kept an eye on them. They were mostly silent, but occasionally brought up memories that they shared. Terra realized just how much she needed Beast Boy. She made another silent prayer that her relationship with Beast Boy wouldn't end.
'Please, Lord,' Terra pleaded in her mind, 'do not let them make me go through with this. You know how much I love Beast Boy. Please, Father. I need help.'
"My child, I will never leave you, nor forsake you. For I have a plan for you and Beast Boy. You just need to trust me. Do you trust me?"
'Yes, Father, I do trust you. You have already blessed me so much with bringing Beast Boy into my life.'
"Remember, my precious daughter, I will always love you, and I will always be with you."
"Tara, it's time to get ready," called Brion.
Terra and Beast Boy exchanged glances and hugged.
"See you later," said Beast Boy sadly.
"Yeah, see ya," Terra replied with the same tone.
Terra's mother watched as the female servants did Terra's hair and makeup. She had her hair the same way as she had had it on her birthday. Terra tried to sit still as the servants did her makeup. They also placed long white gloves on her arms that covered her elbows. However, she insisted that she put on her butterfly hair clip and necklace herself. Once her dress was zipped up and her shoes were fastened, she turned around to face her mother. Her mother smiled with approval.
"Oh, Tara, you look so beautiful," exclaimed her mother.
Her dress was a red ball gown that resembled Belle's dress from "Beauty and the Beast." The only differences were that it didn't have the satin decorating the skirt, and the straps weren't puffy, but clung to her shoulders. This was the only formal dress that Terra would wear, and the added bonus was that it had pockets. The last thing added was a silver tiara with rubies on it. Terra looked at herself in the mirror and frowned. She usually would have liked to see herself in this dress since Kat had designed it for her. Now she didn't want to wear it because she knew it was so she could look presentable to other men –and not Beast Boy.
"Tara, cheer up," said the queen who saw the frown.
"Please don't make me do this," Terra pleaded one last time. "I mean, what if none of them like me because of my powers? Beast Boy accepted me even when my powers were completely unstable."
Her mother let out a sigh. "Tara, I know this is hard for you, but trust me; you're doing the right thing."
'That's not what my heart's telling me,' thought Terra as her father knocked on the door.
"Tara, it's time," he told her.
Terra's father escorted her arm in arm down the long hallways. They came to the double doors that led to the platform with the stairs where Terra was to be presented. The geomancer felt her heart racing as her father's hand touched her own, and it startled her.
"You look beautiful, Tara," he told her. "You'll be just fine."
She felt a mixture of emotions as her father had his hand on hers and speak the words he spoke. He had never really done this before, so she was confused.
"Thanks," she muttered. On the other side of the doors, she could hear her name being announced.
"Presenting Princess Tara and her father King Viktor of Markovia,"
Terra took a deep breath as the doors were opened and father and daughter walked in. All eyes fell on the princess as the two walked in. She could see her friends standing in the midst of the large crowd. Her father gripped her hand a little tighter to get her attention and to make sure she kept her balance. Terra kept her eyes focused on the staircase as she and her father slowly and gracefully made their way down the stairs. Once they finished with the last step, her father turned to face her and bowed. Terra curtsied as her father lifted her right hand and kissed it. She once again felt the same mixture of emotion, even though this was a standard procedure for a formal occasion. For Terra, this was always something she couldn't get used to. Then Terra turned and bowed gracefully to the audience as they repeated her action.
Beast Boy was completely stunned by how dignified Terra acted and how beautiful she looked. He was used to seeing the tomboy version of Terra, and to him, this was completely different. The green Titan didn't know if he should be saddened or delighted by this change. All he knew was that he had to have at least one dance with her. She may have been his recently ex-girlfriend, but he still loved her.
The music started to play and the first young man walked up to Terra. He had black hair and deep green eyes. The young guest gave her a smile and bowed as she curtsied. Terra knew right away that this was going to be a long night.
"Greetings, my princess," he said politely, "may I have this dance?" He extended his hand for her to accept it.
Terra hesitated for a moment. "Yes, you may," she said as she placed her hand in his.
Beast Boy was crushed by this, but knew that she was just doing what her parents wanted her to do. He knew she didn't want this any more than he did, so he decided to wait until most of the men had had a chance to dance with her. Several hours went by, and already more than five young men had asked her to dance. He sat at the table where he and his friends were sitting looking discouraged. Then he looked up and saw Robin dancing with Starfire and Cyborg dancing with Raven.
Starfire was wearing the same dress as she had worn when Robin had had that date with Kitten. Raven was wearing her black dress that covered one shoulder and had her raven symbol that she wore on her cape on top. (A/N: I'm not very good at describing these things.) He looked around the room to see if he could find Terra. Sure enough, he found her dancing with yet another guy. It was becoming too much for Beast Boy, so he finally got up from the table and walked through the crowd.
"Go get her, tiger," he heard Cyborg joke as he walked past his friends.
The green Titan sent his robotic friend a quick glare and continued to make his way through the crowd. Once he finally reached her, he tapped on the shoulder of the other teenager who was dancing with Terra.
"May I cut in?" he asked as politely as possible.
"Sure," said the young man as he bowed to Terra and departed.
"Hi," he whispered softly so only Terra could hear.
"Hi," Terra whispered back. "You have to bow," she informed him.
Beast Boy quickly remembered and bowed as Terra curtsied. Once they stood up straight, Beast Boy placed his left hand on Terra's waist and joined his right hand with hers. Terra placed her left hand on Beast Boy's shoulder and joined her left with his. Their faces turned a light pink as they looked down at their feet for a minute. Then they looked up as they let the music carry them. They felt awkward a little awkward at first, but slowly got the hang of it. Once they became comfortable, they started talking.
"So, how have you been?" asked Beast Boy.
"I've been better," Terra half joked, "and yourself?"
"I'm better now…now that I'm here with you," replied Beast Boy as his blush deepened and Terra's deepened as well.
"Met anyone you like yet?" Beast Boy asked half jokingly.
Terra shrugged, "Not really. I'll bet you're relieved." She gave him a smirk.
"Yeah, I am," he admitted with a soft laugh. "Anybody ask you to marry them yet?"
The geomancer giggled, "No, Beast Boy, nobody's asked me yet."
"Think your parents are going to be ticked seeing us dance together?" asked the green Titan as he raised an eyebrow.
"Honestly, I don't know," Terra replied. Suddenly they heard a scream.
"My baby! Someone has kidnapped my baby!" cried Alyssa as she ran into the room. Greg ran to her and tried to comfort her.
"Ally, now calm down and tell me what's going on," said Greg.
"Somebody's kidnapped Esther!" she cried as she buried her face into her husband's chest.
"Gregory, what happened?" asked the king. He sounded as concerned as he was angry.
"Somebody's kidnapped Esther," he frantically reported to his father.
Just then, Terra's communicator rang, and she dug into her dress pocket. She opened it up and gasped to see Slade's face on the screen.
"Hello, Terra. Remember me?" he asked as his voice sent a shiver down Terra's spine.
"Slade! What do you want? What have you done?" Terra spat with venom in her voice. The other Titans gathered around her in a heartbeat.
"I have something that I believe belongs to you…or should I say your family," replied Slade calmly as he turned to reveal little Esther tied up and huddled in a corner.
Terra's eyes filled with rage at the sight of her niece in danger, "Release her, Slade, or I'll make you regret the day you ever crossed paths with me!"
"Why, Terra, how noble of you," said Slade as Terra sneered. "If you want the child so badly, come and get her."
"We'll be there," Terra snarled.
Slade appeared to be smiling to himself and enjoying Terra's reactions, "I look forward to it." The next minute the picture of Slade was gone and static filled its place.
Terra closed the communicator with a determined look on her face. She understood what was going on. Slade had found out where she lived and who her family was. He now had the perfect revenge for his former apprentice. Terra turned to Robin with that same look, and he gave her a nod in agreement. The Titans had to go save Terra's niece. Terra and her team ran out of the room and passed Terra's family along the way out.
"Brion, fill them in," Terra ordered. "I've gotta go."
They all ran to their rooms and changed as fast as they could for Esther's life depended on it. Once the Titans had finished changing, they met in the hall that connected to all of their rooms. Robin opened his communicator and saw a map leading to Slade's location.
"Titans! Go!" shouted Robin, and the Titans ran down the halls.
They were about to reach the main door when suddenly Terra's parents came running after them.
"Terra, no, it's too dangerous!" her mother insisted. Geo-Force had just told his parents about Slade, and they didn't want Terra to get hurt.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine," Terra assured them as her team opened the door and ran down the steps.
She summoned two pieces of earth and jumped onto one of them. Robin jumped onto the other one as Starfire lifted Cyborg off the ground. Raven flew in the air while Beast Boy morphed into a hawk. Terra waved goodbye to her family and gave them a reassuring smile that she and Esther would return safely. She stayed close to Robin so that she would know which way to go as they led the team. They followed the coordinates as it led them to a mountaintop with green grass, numerous trees, and rocks covering it. Terra remembered where she was going. This was where she used to go exploring with Brion when no one was looking. She took the lead as they came to a cave. They entered cautiously as they went through the tunnel and used Starfire's starbolts for light. The cave was large and reminded the Titans of the time they fought Slade's robotic worms many years ago.
"Terra, how do you know where you're going?" asked Robin.
"My brother and I used to come here almost all the time," Terra replied in a hushed voice.
Once they came to the end of the cave, they saw Esther, thankfully unharmed.
"Aunt Tara!" the little girl exclaimed as Terra rushed to free her niece.
Robin suddenly got a gut feeling, "Terra, no, it's a trap!"
"Very good, Robin," came the callous of the madman.
Terra gasped and turned around as another chill went down her spine.
"Slade," Terra growled again.
"Terra," Slade said coolly.
"Titans! Go!" Robin cried as his teammates lunged into action. "Terra, get Esther out of here!"
Terra nodded and untied her niece as the little girl clung to her aunt. "Did he hurt you?" Terra asked and feared the worst.
"He tied me up and brought me here," the little girl said.
The geomancer sighed inwardly thankful that nothing else had happened. She pulled out her communicator and called her brother as she led Esther out of the cave. "Geo, I'm outside the old cave with Esther. Come over here as soon as you can," Terra told her brother as Geo-Force nodded.
Terra and Esther waited outside until Geo-Force came. Once he came, he scooped Esther in his arms and was taken aback to see Terra run back inside.
"Terra, what are you doing?" he asked.
"My team needs me," Terra called over her shoulder as her brother nodded in understanding and took their niece back home.
Once inside, Terra felt the ground as it shook beneath her feet. She knew that it could only mean one thing. The cave was giving way, and in a matter of minutes, the cave walls would collapse. Terra ran to her team and found them giving Slade a serious beating, but not enough to take him down. She summoned a rock and threw it at Slade's head to get his attention. Terra had to make sure the Titans could get out of the cave before another accident happened. She planned to use herself as a decoy to give the Titans time to run. The minute the rock hit Slade's head, he turned his attention to Terra.
"Hey, Slade! You want me? Come and get me!" she mocked as she ran towards the entrance of the cave.
"You little…" Slade snarled behind his mask as he chased after the geomancer. The other Titans immediately ran after them, but stopped when they felt a bigger tremor hit.
"This cave is coming down," Raven alerted the others as they raced out of the cave. Several minutes after they escaped, the rocks and inner walls inside the cave fell. They suddenly heard the sound of their earth-moving teammate fighting with the strength-enhanced madman. The Titans followed the sounds of the fight and found Terra fighting Slade as hard as she could.
"Don't you ever threaten my family again," Terra growled as she summoned a large bolder and threw it at Slade. "All you've ever done is hurt the people I love, and I'm sick of it! And if I ever catch you here again, you will regret it!" She was hitting him with everything she had. Finally, Slade had had enough and threw a smoke bomb in front of them.
The Titans covered their eyes until the smoke cleared. Once the smoke had settled, Slade was gone. Terra knelt down and pounded her fist in aggravation. Beast Boy walked up and stood beside her as he placed a hand on her shoulder. She felt his presence, but didn't look up.
"He got away," Terra growled in a low voice. She almost sounded like Robin.
"Yeah, but next time we see him, we'll get him," said Beast Boy reassuringly.
Terra looked up and smiled as she placed a gloved hand over his. "Thanks, Beast Boy."
They returned to the castle tired and worn out. Once they got inside, Terra's parents were waiting for them. Terra walked up to her parents and waited for what they had to say. Her parents were silent for a few minutes, and this confused Terra. She looked up at them as if to ask, "Aren't you going to say anything?" The king cleared his throat which got Terra's attention.
"We will discuss this tomorrow," he told her as he and his wife went to bed.
"Uh, what just happened?" asked Beast Boy as soon as Terra's parents were gone.
"I don't know," replied Terra with a shrug. The last thing she needed was to be scolded for saving her country from a madman.
The Titans decided to go to bed as they all wished each other good night. However, Terra couldn't get to sleep again. She couldn't stop thinking about Slade. Terra reached for her communicator and called Beast Boy. The green Titan answered his communicator with a drowsy look on his face. He was surprised to see Terra's face.
"Terra?" he asked in a daze.
"Uh, BB, do you think you could spend the night with me?" Terra asked. She knew Beast Boy wouldn't ask why until he got there. He only spent the night with her when she was scared.
Beast Boy let out a yawn. "Okay, I'll be right over," he told her, and he closed his communicator.
He walked down the halls and knocked on Terra's door as she welcomed him in. Hiding another yawn, he sat on the chair by her dresser. "So what's up?" he asked.
"I…couldn't stop thinking about Slade. And that he might come back," Terra admitted nervously.
"And you wanted me to stay with you in case he did," Beast Boy finished for her.
Terra nodded. "So, will you stay?"
The green Titan nodded in agreement and waited until Terra got into bed. He morphed into a dog and lay next to her (A/N: You didn't think I'd let him spend the night in a girl's room in human form did you?). Terra smiled as she stroked his fur until she fell asleep. Beast Boy gave her a lick to say 'good night' and 'I love you.'
Early the next morning, the two teens woke up and Beast Boy went back to his own room. Once they all got dressed and ready for the day, they joined the others. The Titans were having breakfast together when Geo-Force came walking up to them.
"Mom and Dad want to talk to you," he said to Terra.
"Oh, great," said Terra with sarcasm again. "Wonder what they want to yell at me about this time."
Brion refused the urge to make a comment as Terra got up to go meet with their parents. Once she got there, Terra found her parents were standing on the bottom floor of the throne room. She walked up to them and braced herself for whatever they had planned for her.
"Tara, Brion informed us of this "Slade" person," her father said. "He told us how big of a threat he was to you and your team. And apparently he is now on the loose."
Terra sighed. "And you want me to stay here to make sure that he doesn't threaten Markovia again," she said in a monotone.
"No, we realized just how much your team needs you in America to make sure this madman never shows his face around here, or anywhere else again," her father corrected her.
"So…I can go back?" asked Terra with a hint of hopefulness in her voice.
The king nodded, "Yes, you may go back."
Terra felt like she was about to burst with joy, but something stopped her from exploding. "Wait, what about…my future?" she asked with suspicion.
His face remained serious. "Your mother and I realized that…because you are an adult, you have the right to make your own decisions. And that you are obviously responsible enough to accept the consequences for your actions. If you wish to proceed with your relationship with this boy…then you have our permission."
"Really?" asked Terra with disbelief. Her father nodded. Terra smiled and hugged her parents. "Oh, thank you thank you thank you thank you!" Terra exclaimed with excitement as she went to go tell her friends the good news.
Terra ran through the halls feeling as giddy as ever as she went in search for her friends. Once she found them, she ran up to Beast Boy and gave him the shock of his life. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately on the lips without warning. Beast Boy's eyes went wide with shock. Once Terra released him, he became more dazed than ever. Cyborg couldn't resist but pretend that he was going to catch his dumbfounded friend and then at the last minute let him fall. A minute after Beast Boy hit the ground, his friends all circled him. He opened his eyes and looked straight up at Terra with a confused look on his face.
"Did I miss something, or were you just really happy to see me?" he asked.
The blonde geomancer found this amusing, and giggled. "What would you say if I told you that my parents have given me permission to go home with you guys…and permission for us to get back together?" asked Terra with a playful look on her face.
"Really, you're serious?" asked Beast Boy. Terra nodded. Beast Boy immediately got up and kissed Terra on the lips with the same amount of passion.
"Okay, I think I'm going to be sick," Raven stated in a monotone.
"Okay, you two break it up. That's my sister you're kissing, so don't push it," came Geo-Force's voice from behind them.
Beast Boy and Terra broke apart as their faces heated up and turned deep red. The others couldn't help but smirk as they stifled their snickers. Just then, Greg came by and looked at the group with confusion.
"Did I miss something?" he asked. He thought about it for a moment and shook his head. "Never mind, I don't want to know. Tara, I just wanted to thank you for helping us save Esther."
Terra shrugged, "Just doing my duty."
"Well, Alyssa and I would like to thank you and your team for your help," said Greg as he bowed his head as a sign of gratitude.
"It's just like Terra said, we were just doing our duty," said Robin.
Greg smiled and went on his way. After Brion left, Beast Boy had something on his mind. "So, I have a question. When do we leave?"
"Whenever you like," said Terra's father from behind them. He actually didn't sound mad or anything. He sounded calm and had the slightest hint of a smile.
Beast Boy jumped a little and blushed nervously as he stood behind Terra for protection and distance between him and her father. You have to admit, her father was intimidating even when he wasn't mad.
Terra's father cleared his throat, "Like I was saying you may leave whenever you wish. I would also like to thank you for saving my granddaughter." He extended his hand in a handshake.
"It was our pleasure, sir," said Robin as he accepted the handshake.
"However, before you leave, I would like to have a word with this young man," he said as he pointed to Beast Boy.
"M…me, Sir?" asked Beast Boy nervously.
"You are dating my daughter, aren't you?" asked Terra's father.
"Ye…yes, Sir," replied Beast Boy.
Terra's father led him by the shoulder out to the garden. Once they reached the garden, the king asked Beast Boy all sorts of questions. How he got his green skin, about his parents, and what his relationship with Terra was like. Beast Boy told him about what happened in Africa and how his parents died in a boating accident. He also told him about how he and Terra were best friends. The green Titan decided not to tell her father about those nights he spent with Terra whenever she got scared (not that they did anything wrong), and anything that had to do with Slade. He didn't want her father to change his mind about letting them date again. After their talk, they rejoined the others in the kitchen. Her father pulled her aside to talk with her privately.
"Tara, I would like to say, I'm sorry. You were right. I did know nothing about him, and I judged him without getting to know him. And for that, I'm sorry," her father apologized.
"Apology accepted, Dad," said Terra with a smile.
Early the next day, the Titans set out on their journey back home. They got back to Jump City very late that night. The weary Titans carried their luggage to their rooms and went straight to bed. On their way to their rooms, Beast Boy and Terra walked together, hand in hand. Once they reached Terra's door, Beast Boy kissed her good night.
"Good night, Terra. You know? Your dad isn't actually all that bad," said Beast Boy.
Terra thought about it for a moment. "Yeah, you're right. Well, good night. I love you."
"I love you too, Terra," replied Beast Boy with a yawn, and he headed to his own room.
The next day, Robin allowed everyone to sleep in a little because of the circumstances. That afternoon, Kat came by for a visit as they told her about their adventure. Once they got done telling her the story, Cyborg quietly snuck out the picture that he had taken of Terra. He showed it to her, and she let out a giggle. She didn't giggle to be cruel she just never thought she'd see Terra in pink. Suddenly, Terra caught sight of the picture and gave Cyborg a death glare.
"Cyborg, you didn't!" she exclaimed as a deep flush crept over her face.
"You know, Cyborg, if I were you, I'd be running right now," said Kat with a smirk.
"Why?" Cyborg asked, but then he turned and to the angry geomancer with glowing hands starring back at him.
"You're dead meat, metal-butt," Terra growled. Cyborg panicked and ran across the main room and down the hall just as Beast Boy entered the room.
He looked at them with confusion for a moment and asked, "Did he show you the picture of Terra?" Beast Boy had known about the picture Cyborg had taken.
"Yes he did," Kat smirked again.
"Shouldn't we go break them up?" asked Beast Boy as he pointed his thumb in the direction of where he had last seen Terra and Cyborg.
"Naw, let them work it out for themselves," said Kat. "Besides, I think Cy needs to learn that you should never mess with a geomancer."
"I hear that," Beast Boy laughed.
"Get back here, tin-man!" they heard Terra yell from down the hall. The two friends looked at each other and laughed.
The End
This story is dedicated to Tianimalz, Tech-Man, Green Gallant, and teentitan'sgirl. Special thanks goes to Tianimalz for inspiring me, Green Gallant for helping me out and letting me use his idea for Greg's wife and daughter (though I changed the names, hair, and eye color so I wouldn't be plagiarizing), and Tech-Man and teentitan'sgirl for beta reading it. And of course, my Heavenly Father for giving me this awesome gift and love of writing. Thank you so much! I couldn't have done it without you. If this story offends anyone in any way, just let me know and how I can make it better and I'll delete it and start over (I don't mind). God bless!