I do not own the Teen Titans. Nor do I own the rights to the song, "Too Young"
Too Young – Rita's Memories
And yet, we're not too young to know
Rita Farr, Elasti-girl of the Doom Patrol, adopted mother of Garfield Logan, sat in the living room. For the moment, it was too oppressive in her dying son's bedroom. While no parent should ever outlive their child, for a family of heroes and crimefighters, the reality was different. You had to be prepared. At any time the word could come, your husband is dead, your son is dead.
You're never prepared.
The fantasy that is the life of a hero is make-believe. The good guys always win, the bad guys always lose. A cure is found. The hero is revived by the true love's kiss.
Reality is far different. People get sick and die. Sometimes there are no cures.
Rita was trying to accept this. It was difficult. She had already lost Larry (Negative Man), Cliff (Robotman) hadn't been heard from in months. She didn't even know if he was aware of Gar's condition. She couldn't believe he would stay away if he did. That means either he doesn't know yet or, or….
Let's not think of that.
And Steve, Steve….her husband, her love.
Let's especially not think of that.
To distract herself, while sitting on the couch, she looked outside the window onto the deck. There were two of Gar's teammates, his friends, Dick and Vic, standing there talking. It looked like they were getting into a heated discussion over something. At least Victor looked angry.
Well, it was really none of her business. Her concern was lying some 25 feet away, in a bed, dying.
There was nothing she could do.
It was all she could do not to break down. Her son, her little boy. He would always be her little boy, as long as he was alive. Which wasn't for very long.
No, let's not think of that. She had to stay strong for Mark. He would need her. She couldn't tell if his mother would be there for him. She never could understand Raven and her….peculiar…behavior. Still, Raven was there by his bedside, while she was out here. She sighed.
Mark Logan entered the room from the bedroom. "Grandma, there you are. Are you ok?"
"Always concerned about others," thought Rita. "How very much like his father he is." "Yes, dear, as well as you can expect."
"Why are you out here then?"
"Oh, I needed to move around a little."
Mark accepted that as the reason. He had a small, very small, touch of his mother's empathy. He knew that she was having difficulty with the condition of his dad. So he tried to change the subject.
"How's Grandpa?" immediately, he knew that was a mistake.
Rita let out another sigh. How to tell him? She knew he was aware of the situation; still, she didn't like to talk about it. Well, it couldn't be avoided.
"Dear, he's continuing to deteriorate. It's slow, but steady."
"I thought the Mento helmet would help."
"It does, but Alzheimer's can't be put off forever. It's strange, although the helmet increased the probability of the disease, it also seems to have lengthened its effects. I don't know if that's good or bad."
Mark looked confused. "I don't get it, he'll stay alive longer. Why would that be bad? I think it's great that we'll have him for years yet."
Rita looked at her grandson. He was still so young. So full of the passion of youth. Still believing that life was everything. Not realizing that the quality of life also played a part. "Mark, his memory continues to fade."
"Yeah, so?" Mark was obviously confused.
"Honey, with Alzheimer's, a person's memory fades from the latest memories to the earliest. He no longer remembers much of his Doom Patrol years. He doesn't even remember…" Rita stopped for a moment, then continued. "He no longer even remembers your father. Many days, he doesn't even remember me."
"Oh," muttered Mark, obviously upset. "Then that's why he's not here."
"Yes, all he would see is a sick man in bed. He wouldn't even realize that's his son."
"Shit. I didn't realize it was that far along."
"Don't curse, Mark," Rita said automatically. She had been trying to break him of this habit for years now. At least he wasn't using the more vulgar phrases anymore. "Yes, dear, there would be no point."
And Rita thought, "Perhaps that's really for the best in the end. There are some things he shouldn't remember between him and Gar. They were always fighting one another. Always at loggerheads. At least when Gar was young, it was mostly Steve yelling at Gar. Gar always took it. He tried so hard to be the person Steve wanted. I'm sure that's why he ran away and joined the Titans. He didn't believe he could ever be the son Steve wanted. How it must have hurt him."
"And yet, and yet, he did grow up to be a fine man. Loving, compassionate, someone that Steve was proud of, when he would admit it. He has a fine son and a…..wife, Mark's mother." It was easier for Rita if she thought of her that way. "Perhaps at that, it's better that Steve NOT remember everything. There are some things he's probably happier not to remember."
30 years earlier
The news that Beast Boy and Raven were engaged to be married spread like wildfire. It was front page news in Jump City, as well as most of the United States. Overseas, it was page two. Within the superhero community it was the only topic talked about. Two teenage heroes, engaged. It was rare that ANY hero got married. But two teenagers? What were they thinking? WERE they EVEN thinking?
Eventually, the news reached the Doom Patrol. It took a month or so as they were tracking the last remnants of the Brotherhood of Evil, but eventually the Justice League communications network was able to contact them and inform them of current events. To say the least, Mento and Elasti-girl were upset. Leaving the trail, they made their way to Jump City and Titans Tower.
They showed up on the doorstep of Titan's Tower, roughly six weeks after the announcement, in the early afternoon.
Robin answered the door.
"Mento, hey, good to see…"
"LET ME IN!"
Without waiting for an invitation in, Mento pushed his way past Robin, Elasti-girl following.
"GARFIELD! GARFIELD! WHERE ARE YOU? GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!" shouted Mento.
"Ah, I see you've heard." Muttered Robin.
"You bet I heard! I counted on you as the leader to keep this kind of foolish irresponsibility from happening. I KNEW this was a mistake. I never should have let a pack of irresponsible hormone driven kids alone. I should have taken charge and kept you all in line, molded you like a proper team."
Robin bristled at the charge. 'Irresponsible'? 'A proper team'? What did he think they had been doing for the past few years, playing games? Robin began fuming at the idea. And he had thought Bruce was obnoxious.
"Honey, Steve," began Rita, "please calm down." She had seldom seen him in this kind of state. Come to think of it, the last time he was this upset was when Gar disobeyed him and rescued them instead of smashing the Brain's machinery. "Blaming Robin for this is not going to solve anything."
"Solve what? Hi Rita, Hi Steve, you bellowed?" Beast Boy came into the Common Room, Raven at his side.
"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING, YOUNG MAN!"
"Steve," interrupted Rita, again, "calm down and stop shouting." Beast Boy had looked around confused. Raven simply looked at Mento. Starfire and Cyborg, hearing the commotion in the common room, came rushing in. Both looked at the tableau in front of them and sat down on the couch to wait for the fireworks to resume. Robin, still muttering to himself, also decided to sit down. This did not look promising, but in the face of an older, more experienced hero, he wasn't sure what to do. Especially one that was a parent of a teammate, Trigon didn't count, he wasn't a hero.
With a bit of an effort, Mento got himself under control. In a quieter, but not softer, voice, he asked again, "What do you think you are doing, young man?"
"I assume you are talking about me and Raven. We're going to be married."
"Who gave you permission?"
"Why do we need permission? We love each other and want to make this commitment." Beast Boy was starting to get upset himself. Unfortunately, he had spent most of his time with Mento being yelled at and was not very used to speaking up against him.
"You are far too young to even think about getting married, you barely know this…person. You haven't gotten her in trouble, have you?" Mento suddenly looked worried.
"NO! I..I..we…NO!" answered Beast Boy, getting very red in the face. This was NOT a conversation he wanted to have in front of his friends, nor his parents, nor his fiancé, not even in front of himself for that matter.
"Well, that's a relief at least. We can put an end to this foolishness now without any ramifications." Mento sighed with relief.
"What do you mean put an end to this? We're getting married."
"This is simply some teenage infatuation. You're only 16. You are far too young for marriage. We'll stop the entire thing right now and bring you back with us. You're too young for such adult behavior and responsibility," answered Mento.
Beast Boy was obviously upset, yet, it was Raven who spoke next.
"Excuse me, Mento. I'm trying to understand something. Gar has been with the Titans for several years now and was with the Doom Patrol for a number of years before. So, at 16 or 13 or 11, he was old enough and responsible enough to fight criminals and evil masterminds. He was old enough to put his life in danger every day with your blessing. He was old enough to be left on his own with a group of teenage crimefighters, again, putting his life on the line at a moment's notice to help people. But he's not old enough or responsible enough to have a relationship and get married? I just want to make sure my understanding of this is correct." All through this, Raven had spoken in her normal monotone, her face carefully controlled.
There was dead silence in the room.
Rita thought to herself, "We're going to lose this battle right here. How on earth can Steve say Garfield's too young for love and marriage when he's old enough to die? This girl is sharp."
Mento stood there for a moment, fuming. You could practically see his blood pressure go up. Then, instead of answering Raven's question, he said, "YOU KEEP OUT OF THIS. This is all your fault, demon, you soulless witch. You have NO concept of anything to do with love, demon. You've probably cast some sort of spell on him. Well, we know plenty of magic users as well and we'll end your foul hold on him."
Raven continued her impassive stare at Mento. Beast Boy, however, did not. His eyes narrowed and his lips compressed tightly. He walked up to his adopted father.
And punched him square across the jaw.
Mento went down flat, out cold.
What most people do not realize is that Beast Boy, while not particularly big or well built, was wiry and quite strong in his own way. If you are not prepared for a punch, and most people instinctively brace themselves when they see it coming, the effects are accentuated.
In a very tight voice, Beast Boy turned to his adopted mother and said, "Get him out of here. He is not welcome here. He will never be welcome here again." With that, Beast Boy turned and stormed out, Raven right beside him.
The stunned silence in the room lengthened. The Titans all looked at one another. Beast Boy decked him. Put him out cold. They couldn't believe it.
Rita looked at the doorway where her son and his girlfriend, no, fiancé, had just left.
He hit Steve.
She was stunned. She couldn't believe what just happened. Garfield never stood up to Steve. He cowered or cried or, if things went really bad, ran. Like when he ran away from the Patrol and joined the Titans. He never fought back.
Without saying a word, Elasti-girl elongated her left arm to a size large enough to pick up her husband. She carried him over to the front door and, wordlessly, left. Placing Mento across the back seat of their flyer, Rita got into the pilot's seat and sat there for a moment.
He hit Steve.
I can't believe it.
He hit Steve.
He never fights back.
He hit Steve.
He must love her for real.
He hit Steve.
He must really love her.
Present Time
"No," thought Rita, "it's probably better that Steve doesn't remember a number of things that have happened. It took years for the two to reconcile. I had to go the wedding by myself, Steve wasn't invited. I almost didn't go, but Steve insisted. He felt terrible about his reaction. Well, several months later he felt terrible. "
"No, for the most part he felt betrayed. Betrayed that his son had struck him. And not in battle or training, but in cold fury. Steve always could be blind to how he was treating others. Still, it made him an effective leader of the Patrol."
"Grandma?"
"Still, they did eventually reconcile. Mostly after Mark was born. The idea of a grandson thrilled Steve. He turned out to be more sentimental than even I thought. I still can't get over see him give piggy back rides to Mark. What a doting grandfather."
"Grandma?!"
"There was always still a distance between Steve and Raven though. Probably a result of his strict Catholic upbringing. Well, I tried, well, I tried some, anyway. She's so difficult to get close to, so closed and unreadable. You can never know what she thinks or feels."
"Grandma!?!"
Rita started. "I'm sorry dear, what did you say? I'm afraid I was remembering the past. A habit of the old. We have so much to remember that it crowds out the present at times."
"Are you ready to go back in to Dad?"
"No, but I'll do it anyway. Why don't you stay here. You've been up and attending to everything all evening. Give yourself a breather."
"Weeeelllll," said Mark, "I really shouldn't. Mom might need me."
"Your mother doesn't seem to need anyone," Rita said without thinking.
"GRANDMA! That's not fair." Mark's quick temper (like his mother's) began to flame.
"I'm sorry dear, I shouldn't have said that. But I have to admit, I've never understood your mother."
His temper cooling, Mark replied, "Well, you're not alone."
"Still, I'm sorry. Why don't you wait here and rest for a moment. I'll see if your mother needs anything."
"All right."
With that, Rita rose from the couch and made her way to the bedroom. As she entered it, she considered the scene in front of her. Her son, lying, dying, on the bed, hooked up to various monitors. Raven, sitting there, watching his chest rise and fall slower and slower as the life drained out of him.
Thinking back to her last comment to her grandson, Rita considered. "Does she really need anyone? Still no emotion, no sign of distress. Just a presence. Garfield was ready to stand up to his father for her. To actually STRIKE him for her. What has she done? After all these years, I still don't understand her. I don't even know whether she truly loves him."
With that, Garfield's mother entered his bedroom, to be with him during the last few moments of his life.
And yet, we're not too young to know
Next – Nightwing's Memories
XXXXXX
I am grateful that so many people are actually reading this. While it doesn't nearly match most of the more popular stories (which are REALLY good), I'm grateful for the response.
I'm also grateful that more folks are reviewing the story. As I said, I'm not one who will refuse to write unless I get X number of reviews. I write, as do most writers, out of a desire to pour forth the tales in my soul. Still, reviews are always (ALWAYS) appreciated.
And speaking of my reviewers, in order of submission,
The Force Is Strong With This One – Believe me, I did not intend to copy your concept, it just occurred to me that it was a good structure for a story. Fortunately, I put a twist on it. By the by, next chapter you WILL find out who Dick's other wife was. Thank you for your kind words.
Novus Ordo Seclorum – You've hit on a good portion of this story, the impact of an impending death on everyone. Still, I'll try not to keep you waiting TOO long. I appreciate your interest in my tales, as I've said earlier, I'm a fan of Collateral Damage, so the respect is mutual.
ChicoMagnifico – That depends on what you mean by 'well'. We'll see. I actually have read some of your Titans stories in the past. Please let me finish this story, then I'll revisit them and review. It would be my pleasure.
Wolvembm & Raven of Alaska – Please forgive me for combining you together, but your comments are similar. As you can see, Rita's viewpoint is far different than the Titans. To lose a child, even an adopted one is heart wrenching. That's what I'm trying to convey. As for Rita's impression of Raven, well, as you can see, it's slightly (very slightly) more charitable.
BeastBoyfangirl – My dear, I'm sorry, but Beast Boy will NOT get better. I'm not giving anything away by saying he will die. This is an event that everyone has to face. The story is my, inadequate, because all stories are inadequate in the face of death, attempt to show how his passing will affect all of the Titans.
SomewhereInTime – Dick is not stupid. Yes, he is (in this story) an idiot and self centered. Hopefully, in this next chapter and the final chapter, you will come to appreciate him better. Despite his self-centeredness, he has a good heart and a burning need for justice and fairness. You'll see hints of that in the next chapter.
Until next time my friends.