9. Turn Around

Over the course of the next several months, the child Titans aged rapidly through the various stages of growth. It seemed to those taking care of them that they barely had time to enjoy one stage of growth before it was gone.

-Where are you goin' my little one, little one?-

Roy and Jade watched happily as Bumblebee buzzed motherly over the other kids, babbling nonsense baby noises and fussing. Mas and Menos kept trying to run off, but they'd trip and fall. Aqualad giggled in his tub.

-Where are you goin' my baby, my own?-

Cyborg and Jinx chased after Hot Spot, Herald, and Argent as they toddled around the Tower, taking their first steps in leaps and bounds. Wildebeast did his best to keep up, but he could only do so much, and kids at that age were exceptionally energetic even without super powers.

-Turn around, you're two-

Beast Boy and Raven tended to Star and Robin as they struggled with the most embarrasing aspect of infancy from the adult perspective...potty training.

"I'm never going to be able to look him in the face after this," Beast Boy said after one unsuccessful attempt to teach the unwilling Robin to use the toilet.

Raven sighed. "Just be firm, Garfield."

-Turn around, you're four-

The beginning solid food stage passed rapidly at Titans East, and the kids were able to chew their food now that they had their teeth. THey had even started talking, although much of what they talked about was still childish.

"Speedy! Mas took my chicken fingers!" Bumblebee shouted.

Mas shouted a denial back in Spanish, pointing an accusing finger at Aqualad.

"I didn't touch her fingers!" Aqualad complained. "I'm still on kelp mix and plankton!"

Roy sighed, rubbing his nose. Kids...

On the other side of the table, Jade smiled, absently eating a chiken finger.

-Turn around, and you're a young girl, going out of my door-

"Argent!" Jinx shouted. "Put Hot Spot down."

"But he called me a stupid girl!" Argent had Hot Spot suspended by her energy projections. Herald was off to the side.

"Make him squeal!" Herald said laughing. He shut up when Jinx glared at him.

Jinx glared at Hot Spot. "Say you're sorry."

"But I'm not!" Hot Spot said.

"Hot Spot...either you are sorry, or you're going to be," Jinx said, lifting her hand. Pink energy sparked, shaping a paddle.

Hot Spot's eyes went wide. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"Good," Jinx said, and turned to Argent. "Now let him down."

Argent dropped Hot Spot on the floor. As he rubbed his back, she ran up and pushed him. "Tag! You're it!" She dashed off.

"No fair!" he shouted, chasing after her.

Jinx sighed, rolling her eyes, feeling content.

-Turn around, turn around-

"See? This is how you do it," Melvin said, carefully braiding Starfire's hair.

Starfire giggled. "I can do yours next, yes?"

"Well...mine's not very long...but okay!"

Starfire squealed. "Oh thank you!" She hugged Melvin.

"Star...it's kinda hard to braid your hair like this...and you're kinda crushing me..."

Raven smiled indulgently as she watched.

Meanwhile, Robin, Timmy, and Teether wrestled under Beat Boy's supervision. He laughed as Robin kept ending up at the bottom of the heap.

-Turn around, and you're a young girl, going out of the door-

The kids now looked about eight, and were getting to be a real handful.

"But I want to swim in the ocean!" Aqualad complained. "The pool's boring! There's no fish to talk to."

"Well, you can't!" Speedy said for the nth time. "It's too dangerous."

"The fish will protect me!"

"There's more than just fish in the ocean." Speedy turned to Cheshire. "Jade, help me out here!"

"Go ahead and swim in the ocean, Aqualad," Jade said calmly as she combed Bumblebee's hair. "Roy and I will be sure to find a bucket to hold what's left of you after you swin into a submarine's turbine's."

Aqualad stared at Jade, his eyes going wide. "I think I'll go do laps in the pool," he said, and ran to the pool.

-Where are you going, my little one, little one?
Little dirndles and petticoats, where have you gone?-

Since the kids seemed to recover their education as they grew so rapidly, there wasn't a need for lessons, although some things needed to be taught.

"Argent," Jinx said for the nth time. "How many times have I told you that it's not really appropriate to be bathing with the boys?"

"But you bathe with Cyborg alla time," Argent said with irrefutable logic.

"That's different. He's my boyfriend," Jinx replied, trying to supress a blush.

Argent tilted her head, then smiled. "Can Hot Spot be my boyfriend?"

Jinx looked at her, smiling wickedly. "Maybe when you're older again. We'll have to see."

"But why not now?"

Jinx looked at Argent closely. "Why so insistent?"

"Cause I want to have someone to scrub my back," Argent said logically.

Jinx laughed. "I'll take care of that for you, if you like."

-Turn around and you're tiny Turn around and you're grown-

Raven smiled as she watched the now apparently 10 year old Starfire experiment with...flirting.

"Friend Robin...do you think I'm cute?"

Robin responded by blushing. "Um, er, uh..."

Beast Boy shook his head. He was going to have to teach Robin a thing or two about handling girls...if he stayed young long enough to need it.

-Turn around, and you're a young wife With babes of your own-

As the child Titans reached the age of 13, they all fell into a deep sleep. Cyborg reported that whatever substance and spell caused the age regression was cycling out of their system's completely as they caught up to themselves. THey'd probably sleep through adolescents, as they'd been through it pretty recently anyway.

-Turn around turn around-

Each of the couple's who had spent so long tending to their friends as children sat back, in their respective towers, lost in thought. Each pair matched gazes, as the same question filled their minds, and was spoken simultaneously.

"What now?"

-Turn around and you're a young wife,
with babes of your own-

In each Tower, a couple reached a decision. In each tower, lives changed forever.