A/N:Sorry, but I'm not writing about the ball JUST yet. I'm still fixing and tweaking THAT storyline…*sigh* it's going to be a long day…Extra French homework…and…MIDTERMS OF DOOM. Well, that and one of those marks is gonna be one I submit to universities…so….No pressure, right? EXTREME MATH HW.---- Test, see?

Also, this chapter was totally forced, sorry if it sucked totally bad, the next is about the ball. I just wrote this…as a filler…sort of.

BTW, I may not be updating around the week after Valentines Day, because…midterms..

also, this chapter is slightly based on the life Mariana left.

"Adelante!" Shouts C from her drawing of duckies.

Mariana had been anticipating today for a while, and as she lay in bed, procrastinating the moment she would have to get up, and tell her friends, perhaps excite Starfire, and totally annoying the hell out of Robin. Her family, had wanted to meet her team-mates, the people she had been missing school to save the city with. In fact, if it weren't for them, her school grades would've dropped long ago. Thank goodness for Cyborg, with his technological knowledge, and medical knowledge as well. Thank god for Starfire, who was also learning, and would benefit from photocopies of Mariana's homework. They would do their homework together and lessen the strain.. Thank god for Raven, who knew bits about different religions and histories. Thank goodness for Robin, who knew just about everything. Thank goodness for Beastboy, who stayed up late with her and glued things crooked.

Beastboy…Mariana let her mind linger on that one image. Her best friend here perhaps. And he had been the reason she had joined this different, new, wonderful lifestyle. She felt at home here, and around him. She also felt she could be herself, but she also really liked him. Like really. But then, when you liked someone, weren't you supposed to feel awkward around them?

She pondered that for a while, listening to the sounds of a window being opened downstairs, and looking out her huge square window. The one for Terra apparently. Because Terra had always liked the ocean. But then, Mariana had always liked the ocean too…

Mariana sighed and got up, rumpling her sheets, which were…you guessed it, green. It wasn't that it was for Beastboy, but that she actually did like green. Any green, maybe even…puke green. Well, not puke green.

Mariana scratched her shoulder, encased in the soft woolly thing that was her pyjamas. Her pyjamas were white, and had little…blue ducks on them. Beastboy had teased her for them once, and she had hit him with a pillow. Mariana put on her costume, glancing at the other clothing in her closet. Clothing she didn't use too much anymore.

Walking down the stairs to the dining/living room, Mariana saw that Robin, Cyborg, Raven, and Star were already up. The only one not here was Beastboy. Oh well, he wouldn't miss much. She could tell him later.

"Hello friend Mariana, wonderful morning!" Starfire cried with glee, her usual bright self.

"You mean 'good morning'?" Raven added dryly from her spot on the couch, reading a horror novel.

"Good morning Star. Raven. Robin. Cy." Mariana nodded at them. "Guys, I have some important news."

Everyone looked up, even Raven, who had only recently taken to listening to Mariana.

Mariana took a deep, shaky breath.

"My parents, they want to meet you guys."

"Oh, how joyous! Shall we meet your many siblings as well?" Starfire clapped with glee, almost falling over, but cathcing herself and hovering instead.

"That's cool, when?" Robin asked, grinning.

"Halloween?"

"Hmmmm, usually a day for crazy voodoo criminals…but…that should be fine. But you should tell them that duty comes first."

"Yeah. My parents wanted Halloween because I have a little sister, and a little brother, and they're both really young, so they don't want them running around too much, but this will be their first Halloween, and…yeah."

"Their first Halloween, really?" Raven asked with mild interest.

"Yep" Mariana said proudly. "They're 4 and 5. The little boy is four. The girl is five."

"Alright, lets see if Uncle Cyborg can teach them some nice gaming."

"That's nice, can the boy walk yet?"

"Yep."

"That's cool, I can show him some little moves. See if it's inherited." Robin looked thoughtful.

"First Halloween, that's interesting. Do they scare easily? Halloween sometimes has me…'freaky'." Raven mentioned.

"Erm, well, I guess they scare as much as 4 year olds do." Mariana shrugged.

"Okay, I'll have to meditate. Halloween's only tomorrow." Raven said professionally.

"When are they coming?"

"Tomorrow night."

"What shall we wear? Shall we go on yet another spree of the shopping??" Starfire asked, eyes agleam at yet another chance to go shopping.

"Nah, we're superheroes. We'll just wear our costumes." Cyborg pointed out gamely.

"Yeah, that should be fine. They're excited enough to actually see you guys, so that should be--"

"What? Having a meeting without me?" Beastboy walked in, yawning.

A collective groan rang out.

"Now we have to say it again."

They explained to him again, but for some reason, it took longer than the original discussion. Maybe that had something to do with the fact that Beastboy was busy yawning loudly and distracting Raven from her book, which she had returned to when he had come in. After explaining, everyone had breakfast, and Robin said he'd go out for some decorations, Starfire giggled gleefully again, and flew into her room mumbling about presents, Raven went to meditate in her room, Cyborg went on to wash the dishes, and Mariana went to call her mother and arrange plans. All this left Beastboy to pester Cyborg for the Whole. Entire. Morning.

******

The next day, Starfire, Mariana, Robin, and Beastboy went on an insane decorating spree. Bats lined the ceiling, which was very high up, so Beastboy had to turn into a pterodactyl and haveMariana sit on him, taping things up. This didn't really work, because Beastboy kept titlting and trying to joke around, but really just scaring Mariana's pants--err, skirt off. Starfire, meanwhile, was hovering a little lower than them, and putting up pumpkin posters everywhere, and Robin was carving several pumpkins on the counter. Cyborg was baking Pumpkin pie, and pumpkin seeds, and was making turkey and tofurkey (sp?). Raven was meditating all day.

----

That evening, an few hours before Mariana's family was coming, Starfire had something to say.

"Friends, I have spent the entirety of last night creating small costumes for everyone!"

"Really Star? That's…great?" Beastboy said warily.

"That's cool, lets see them!" Mariana chirped, nervous about tonight.

Starfire flew up into her room, and came down a few seconds later with a big bag. She dumped the contents of the bag onto the dining table, and distributed their 'costumes' to them.

Robin received a bat mask, Raven received a pair of black, Gothic, lacy wings that had the shape of bat wings, Mariana had a pair of delicate fairy wings, and Starfire had butterfly wings for herself.

"Whoa, Star, where'd you get all the material, and how'd you learn to do all this?"

"I had many teachers and lessons of the sewing action, as it is a great traditional skill passed through the generations of my Tamaranean ancestry. The material I have bought before for emergencies."

"What about me?" Beastboy asked in a small voice, feeling left out.

"Oh, friend Beastboy, I have this!" Starfire pulled out a blonde wig.

"Wha-"

"And this!" Starfire picked up a pair of bird wings. "Store bought, but I did not think friend Beastboy would need costumes, you are a shape shifter, yes?"

"Yeah, that's true. Hey Cy, take the wig, I won't need it." Beastboy taunted.

"Awww, that was low!" Mariana said.

Cyborg put on the wig and everyone doubled over in laughter.

Then, Beastboy asked, "So who's going out to rent the movie?"

Everyone automatically looked at Mariana, the only normal looking human (Robin didn't count because he never took off his mask for anyone).

"Fine..." Mariana sighed in defeat. She ran up to her room to get dressed in normal clothing. Dashing down to grab her coat in a lime green TITANS t-shirt (From before, her friend had made it) and black jeans, she saw Beastboy looking slightly anxious.

"Don't worry, the kids will love you." Mariana reassured him.

----

In the video store, Mariana was stuck between several choices. PeeWee's Playhouse (a completely scary for children, and maybe even teens movie), The Ring (Too scary? Or were her siblings going to be too distracted by her team-mates to notice a creepy girl with long hair and pruny fingers rising out of a tub?), SAW 3 (Now that she thought about it, no way.), Wicked Scary (The other Titans had wrned her against this movie), Prom Night (The ORIGINAL! *shiver*), Scary Movie 3 (Beastboy's choice!), or a Barney's Halloween Special. Deciding to rent them all, the last one for tonight, and the others for the next day, in which the Titans planned to have an all day movie fest (When villains weren't attacking the city).

Lining up for the check out counter, Mariana glanced around her. All around, people were hurrying to secure last minute scary-movie rentals, desperate to liven up their parties. Moving ahead, one person at a time, Mariana sighed again.

----

Finally reaching her turn, Mariana noticed that she knew the person behind the counter.

"Lane! Oh my gosh! How've you been?"

Lane had been one of her close friends, not best, but close.

"Mariana! Dude, I never thought I'd see you ever again!"

"Yeah! I joined the Ti-"

"-Tans, yeah, I heard. So..."

"Yeah. When did you quit the supermarket thing?"

"Oh, last last week, it didn't work out too well. I threw a mango at this one lady..." Lane rambled on, rubbing his mussed up mohawk.

"Oh, wow, hope she didn't sue. So how is your band doing?"

"Great. We've got a gig in this club and all."

"Nice, I've gotta come see you guys sometime."

"Say, Mariana? You wanna...Go out sometime?"

Lane had been known for his spontaneity.

"Nah...No offense Lane, but...I think I'm too busy for that. And I think I've got my eye on someone else."

"Well, anytime, Mari. I always liked ya, ya know? You're a ballin' girl. Dope."

Lane usually started to not make sense anymore after he said 'dope'. Seeing disgruntled shoppers, Mariana ended their conversation quickly and left the store.

******

Ding Dong.

A brief knocking.

Mariana woke from her trance. Her parents were here. Her judgemental parents. Who hadn't been too happy with 6 teens living together, but still complied. Her sweet siblings.

Babbling voices filled the room out front. The sitting room.

Here we go.

----

"Mom! Dad!"

Mariana ran to her parents, her fairy wings bouncing slightly. Beastboy was hunched over next to them, entertaining her sister by turning into a kitten, a puppy, and then himself, narrating and acting out a story. Raven stood awkwardly in the corner, trying not to make the pumpkins twitch too much. Cyborg was preparing the dinner after having greeted her parents, Starfire was hugging her brother, dazzling him with her brilliant green eyes, and Robin was watching with mild interest, especially with a slightly envious look at Mariana's little brother..

"Honey! It's so nice to finally meet your team-mates. Have you been behaving? Cleaning after yourself? Is your room messy?" her mom asked sternly.

"Oh, you've gotta see my room, it's got a huge window, and it's so big, and I actually clean it, and see this?" Mariana pointed at her 'costume'. "This is what I wear all the time, and---"

"A mini-skirt? That's not too appropriate…"

"Well, that's okay, because I've got these--"

"Much too short. And showing so much leg!"

"--leotards and stockings and fishnets, and all in my room, and--"

"Has this been taking from your schoolwork?"

Mariana sighed. This was going to be a long evening.

----

"Mmmmm, Uncle Cyborg, this is tasty!" Exclaimed Mariana's little brother.

"Thanks buddy." Cyborg grinned, while shooting a smug look at Beastboy.

"Mmmmmm, Cyborg, do you cook for the entire…team?" Asked Mrs. Krandall, Mariana's mother, while wiping her mouth.

"Ummm, yeah. Why?" Cyborg replied, holding back a belch when he remembered they had guests.

"Well, do you know about nutritional values?" She asked.

"Ummm, well, I--" Cyborg scratched his head.

"We want our daughter eating the proper, healthy foods when growing up." She glanced at her husband.

Cyborg almost snorted. Healthy, right. He thought back to the stash of chips, brownies, cookies, and much much more in the pantry.

"Mom, everything's healthy. It's fine." Mariana tried to reassure her mother.

"That reminds me, Mariana, I never quite approved of this tofu stuff. Why can't you eat meat like normal teens?"

"Mom. Please. I like being vegetarian. Beastboy's vegetarian." Mariana half pleaded.

"Yes, about him, your father would like to speak to the male Titans after dinner."

"Mom. You're kidding."

"Do not use that tone with me young lady." Her mother said sternly.

Mariana's shoulders slumped with defeat. Her little brother threw a piece of turkey at Robin while her little sister and Starfire giggled.

----

"Boys, we're here about Mariana."

"Yes, sir." Said the male Titans. Beastboy saluted, holding back a grin.

"We, Mrs. Krandall and I, want you to watch over Mariana, but…on NO conditions, ever lay a single finger on her, you HEAR ME?"

"YES SIR!"

Mr. Krandall glared at them a moment longer and left the living room and into the kitchen where Mariana was waiting with her face as red as a tomato. Starfire was looking slightly giggly, and Raven was making magic encased cutlery float for the children.

----

The door closed behind Mariana's family.

"Guys, I'm really really sorry for what they did. Oh my god, I'm so--"

Beastboy chose this moment to burst out laughing.

"'Don't lay a finger'…hahahahaha, Mariana, your dad…haha…does he know you're fighting criminals?"

"Well, yes. They're just a bit judgemental, and…"

"Mariana, it's okay. We don't mind. It doesn't change the way we think about you." Raven said, sensing Mariana's feelings of embarrassment, shame, and regret.

"Yeah. You're still Mariana, the Teen Titan. It doesn't change who you are. You change who you are. Your actions."

Raven and Mariana both felt Robin may've been referring a bit to Terra when he said this.

"Thanks guys." Mariana's face brightened up.

"The kids were cute too." Beastboy grinned goofily at Mariana, winking.

"Yes! They were most adorable! Much like children of X'hal!" Starfire squealed, soon reaching a high frequency that only dogs could decipher.

"But Mariana? Just…Maybe they don't really need to visit too often." Robin grinned sheepishly.