A/N: I hope everyone enjoys the chapter!
Disclaimer: If I owned Teen Titans, there would definitely be more Titans East in it.
The team stood in shamed, awkward silence for a few minutes after Aqualad had left. Things had been edgy for awhile with the group, and now all the tension finally came to fruition.
Bumblebee's mouth thinned to a line. "You know guys, Aqualad's right. Things have been really hectic lately and we all deserve a break." She smiled, "Let's all go out and do our own stuff on the town. It'll make us feel better." She paused and added uncertainly, "And hopefully Aqualad will be back when we return."
As her companions ran out, Bumblebee sighed, running her hand through her hair. How did the other Titans do it? They seemed to get along so well, even though their team was made of total opposites. Here, it seemed everyone grated on everyone else's nerves. She knew her team worked well together when fighting, but were they truly friends? She had thought so before, but lately the thin bonds of their friendship had been fraying. The recent rash of violent robberies did not help.
Bumblebee shook her head. Opening a window, she flew out. Hoping that the city could stay safe for a few hours, she whirled her wings and set off at a fast pace towards the west; she knew exactly who could help her.
Bumblebee nervously twiddled her fingers, staring at her clasped palms in her lap. The city had been fine while she had been visiting the Titans West, but she had returned to a home of three distraught faces (four if you counted Tramm, but she only saw the odd little mutant for a few moments before he raced down to his lab). Aqualad had not yet returned.
Her trip to the Titans West had been quite unsuccessful. She had asked Robin the team about her team's problems and her fears, but they had stared at her blankly. Finally, it was Robin who spoke gently, as if trying to explain something to a child.
It was the disappointing response she had been half-expecting, "Friendship and trust isn't something you can just expect to happen; you're team will come together, and start learning each other's behaviors. Don't get me wrong, you'll still fight," everyone around the table had cracked a smile at this, "but it won't be as vicious." With a few more words of encouragement, she had been sent on her way.
She worried if the fish taco thing had pushed Aqualad too far. Although he had left around lunch, if was dark now (albeit just barely) and he had been gone for hours. Had he simply left, back to his home in that dank cave he had described so many times before? No, he hated that place; it was cold and smelled of mildew. At any rate, he would not have left without Tramm, and they would have heard if Aqualad came back to retrieve him.
Everyone in the room jumped when the loud echo of the doorbell resounded into the room and throughout the Tower. Bumblebee exchanged looks with her teammates (all that morning's animosity had been forgotten while everyone worried). Had Aqualad come back? Why was he using the doorbell?
Bumblebee moved before any of the boys thought to. She flew down the steps (instead of taking the slow elevator) quickly. She hesitated for a moment before opening the rarely-used front door. Was Aqualad trying to use this as a way of saying that he was no longer part of the team? Could she forestall that by simply ignoring the call?
The timid tap at the door brought Bumblebee back to her senses; whatever happened, happened and she had to deal with that. Shaking, she turned to doorknob to reveal not Aqualad, but a young woman.
Bumblebee was shocked; how had she gotten here? Then she noticed that the girl's dark brown hair (which even now Bumblebee could tell was curly) was plastered to her head and face and her clothes stuck to her thin body unnaturally. Had she really swimmed all the way from the mainland? The Tower was not as far from the city as the West Titan's Tower was, but it was still a considerable distance of the river between the cliffs that the Tower was built backed to and the town. It had to be a mile or more, and deep as well.
Still, Bumblebee could not manage to muster up enough sympathy for this girl as of yet; her mind was still focused on her missing teammate, so when she spoke, it was hurried and insensitive, though she immediately regretted her tone. "Can I help you?"
The girl seemed afraid, and took a step back, as if trying to hide in the shadows, thought the light of the building clearly shone on her pale skin. Bumblebee's eyes softened. She stepped towards the girl a little, having the feeling that she would bolt if she made any sudden movements.
"Hey, I'm sorry, I'm just a little stressed. Come on now," She held out a hand, trying to be friendly. "Do you have a tip for us?"
The girl shook her head. Bumblebee lowered her hand and cocked her head to the side. She quickly examined the girl for cuts or other forms of abuse. The girl's legs were covered by long, dark brown pants as well and light boots that looked far too tight to be comfortable. Her deep purple shirt had draping sleeves that covered her arms well. The front of her shirt was tied up the front with brown rope-like ties from hem to the top, which covered most of her chest as well. A thin, almost imperceptible silver chain rain down her neck to disappear into her shirt. Her palms were covered with a dusky-purple cloth that wound its way up her wrists to disappear in the draping sleeves.
She was completely covered, from head to toe, which made Bumblebee suspicious. Her timid behavior only added to this; Bumblebee had seen a lot of abused girls, and she did not want to see another hurt if there was something she could do to help it. 'Hold on, girl,' Bumblebee chided herself, 'you're jumping to conclusions.'
"Do you need help?" she asked quietly.
The girl paused a moment, as if thinking the question over, before shaking her head again. She stepped closer to Bumblebee and pulled on the think chain at her neck. Bumblebee, in turn stepped closer to see what the girl was holding.
It was a locket. The pendant unusually large for the size of the chain, its beautiful silver color stood out against the tattered purple fabric of the bandage-like cloth covering the girl's hand. The girl's thumb drew back, and undid the clasp, and Bumblebee gasped in surprise.
The picture obviously was of the girl before her, in a beautiful blue dress, her dark brown curls flowing down her back. Her arms were crossed and she was standing a bit to the side, as if she had not wanted her picture taken, but Bumblebee could see that her hand was raised with two fingers up in the peace sign, and she was smiling. What surprised Bumblebee, however, was Tramm standing in front of her (though he was very nearly out of the picture; his eyes and the top of his head the only thing cluing Bumblebee in to who he was) and Aqualad beside her, his arm draped casually about the girl's shoulders, a wide, joyful smile on his features.
A/N: Well, there's chapter two! Review!