Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans or any other trademarked or registered items.
THE ROAD OF LIFE
By: Tech-Man
Time passed extremely slowly for Garfield Logan. Once known as Beast Boy of the Teen Titans. All of his friends from the Titan's had long since stopped keeping in touch. Even Cyborg, who he thought would always stay in touch, hadn't called in nearly a year. The apartment had started going down hill. The only room that remained untouched was 'her' room. Every once in a while he would search for her on the internet, but nothing that ever came back proved to be of any use in locating Terra.
A single tear slid down his cheek. Currently, he was sitting on the bed. It had long ago ceased to smell like her, but if he concentrated enough he could force the memory to the front of his mind. His current normal form had stopped being human a long time ago, at least on the inside. Now, lying in her bed in his bloodhound form he could still pick up the most scarce traces of her scent. At this point he wasn't even sure whether he was really picking it up or if he had long ago lost his ability to tell memory from reality.
Standing, he allowed his body to undertake the transformation to his human form. One that he almost never spent time in any more. Turning back toward the room he smiled once before leaving, making sure to securely lock the door behind him. He may be leaving this apartment building for good, but he wanted that room to stand as a testament for all time of the love he felt for Terra.
He imagined that she had her reasons for leaving him and the other Titan's behind. He should have known all along that he would never get that happen ending. That ending that had at one point been so clear in his mind. "I love you Terra, and I always will," he whispered before once again undergoing the transformation to a canine. The only difference this time being that he never planned on transforming back.
Two Years, Eight Months Later
Samantha, worked her arms in legs in an attempt to get the swing moving higher and higher. Samantha or Sam as her friends called her smiled broadly as the swing rose higher and higher into the air. Her blonde hair hung down around her waist and her blue eyes shown like the ocean.
"Be careful Sam," an older woman called. Her hair was the complete contrast of the young girls. A dark black, nearly the shade of pure night. Her eyes were a bright green. The only features that would allow the casual observer to know they were mother and daughter is the similarities in their faces.
"If you fall off the swing-set you're going to get hurt, and I don't want you telling me that I didn't warn you," she finished closing the distance and standing beside the swinging child.
"Ah, mom," the young girl cried. "I'm just trying to have fun."
"Well, try having some fun on the ground," she chastised the young girl.
Sam stuck out her feet grinding herself to a complete stop in the sand pit. "Come on mom. I'm six years old," Sam pouted.
The older women walked over wrapping her daughter in a gentle embrace. "I know sweetheart," she placed a gentle kiss on the young girls forehead, before ushering her off toward the slides.
Smiling, Sam took off at a quick place, racing up the ladder, before sliding down the twisted plastic slide. While swinging may have been the top on her list of playground activities, sliding was definitely a close second.
The ground rushed toward her, and Sam had the barest of moments to react before she collided with the huddled ball of fur currently sleeping under the end of the slide. Her efforts to avoid the dog were too little to late as she collided with animal sending them both sprawled on the ground.
"Sorry puppy," Sam whispered rubbing her head where it and the dogs had collided. Opening her eyes she stared straight into the face of the dog.
"Samantha," the panicked voice of her mother tore her from her thought. Looking up she watched as her mother raced over toward her. Picking her up, the older women dusted the young women off. "Are you okay Sam? You scared me to death," she scolded.
"Yeah mom, I'm fine, but look what I found can we keep him," she squealed rushing over and enveloping the dirty dog in a death grip. For a moment she was worried that the animal would react negatively to the child's attention, but to her relief he appeared to be fairly tame, taking the attention in stride.
"Sweetheart, he probably has an owner. It wouldn't be fair of us to take him from those who care for him," the young women spoke, gently brushing the small child's bangs from her face. "Now come on, it's time to get home." As the pair walked away Sam turned to wave good-bye to the dog who had resumed his position in the dirt under the slide.
Four Months Later
The mother and daughter had returned to the park several times over the next four months. Each time Sam would look for the dog. He was never in the same place, but she always managed to find him. Each time she would beg and plead with her mother to allow the puppy to come home, and each time her mother would turn her down. As a response to her mother's continued rejection to the idea of allowing her to bring the dog home; Sam had taken to bringing him food nearly everyday.
This morning Sam was heading toward the park after school. Her long hair waving in the breeze. She was approaching the spot where she normally met the dog she had lovingly named Verde. Sam approached the park with some food she had purchased from the corner store.
Rounding the corner she watched in abstract horror as a big man snagged her dog with a rope on a pole. As Verde struggled to escape the man pushed him into a cage he had set on the side of his truck. Before she was able to react the man had loaded her dog into the bed of the truck and sped off.
Dropping the food in a moment of panic, Sam turned and raced toward her house. The tears already streaming down her face.
A/N: Sorry for the delay, I have no excuses. MyHeroRaven is on my rear to finish this so therefore I will. This story will have two endings. The original ending will be posted to this story and the other will be posted along with the entire story alongside of this one. Thank you for your patience.