Time passed at Titan's Tower, and repairs took much less time than you would anticipate. With Starfire's, Beast Boy's, and Cyborg's super strength, the tower's structure was rebuilt in no time at all. While the three of them worked on their home, Robin and Oleander were working on her room. The idea she had for her quarters was simple, but required more finesse than strength; she wanted her own greenhouse. The large, glass projection on the roof of the tower was off to the side, furthest away from the basketball court. It was a invisible room, with all the walls being glass, and had mister's lining the ceiling. A huge, fresh water bath sat in the corner, and across from it, a moss bed that suited Oleander's needs better than a traditional mattress.
"I don't understand how you can like this," Robin huffed, wiping at the sweat on his brow as he set up the final mister above, "but as long as you like it, I guess that's all that really matters." Robin clamored down the ladder, again wiping another sweat bead from his temple. Oleander grinned, completely happy; the glass they had used to build her sanctuary was a special order just for her; it captured almost all the heat of the sun and kept it. The room would be around 80 degrees Fahrenheit year round.
"Thanks again so much, Robin," Oleander nodded, her pretty white teeth gleaming from her petite mouth.
"Hey, anything for one of the family," Robin smiled, patting her adoringly on the head. "Come on, it's almost noon, let's go see what the others are dong for lunch." The two sprinted to the kitchen, racing each other, Oleander bringing out Robin's childish side. They burst into the living room simultaneously, both gasping for breath, causing the rest of the team to look up in surprise. "I won," Robin gasped, resting his hands on his knees.
"No way, I was yards ahead of you!" Oleander heaved, her chest expanding and collapsing rapidly. The two continued their playful banter as they stumbled into the kitchen, their muscles weak from the sudden excursion.
"So, what do you guys wanna' do for lunch?" Beast Boy grinned, hopping up onto the counter top.
"Please, I dearly desire the boogers of cow," Starfire cheered, her eyes wide and begging at Robin.
"Yeah, I guess I could go for a hamburger too," Robin grinned at his girlfriend. Starfire whopped victoriously and ran to the living room door, begging the others to hurry. The Titans all filed out behind her, Raven quietly bringing up the rear. Since her dispute with Oleander a little over a week ago, Raven had grown even quieter than usual. She could feel the disappointment wafting off of the others, and she herself was nervous about trying to start the healing process. Beast Boy held her hand loyally as they headed down to the garage, but even he seemed to treat her differently.
At the burger shop, Oleander and Beast Boy opted for veggie burgers while the others ordered variants off the menu. They ate boisterously, louder than the other tables around them, their laughter often drowning out the music. Only Raven remained straight faced through the event, eating in silence. Oleander sat close to Cyborg, their legs brushing. Whenever Beast Boy inquired about their relationship, Cyborg always had the same answer; no, they weren't dating, they were just friends. Although all the other Titans easily saw through this, including Oleander herself, they didn't challenge him on it.
Oleander begged and begged, and finally, with a sigh of regret, Cyborg handed her the car keys, giving her permission to drive them all home. Cyborg's heart pounded all the way back to the garage, and although she was a fantastic driver, swerving in and out flawlessly between cars, Cyborg was relieved when she threw the gear shift into park.
"Wow! Nice moves, dude!" Beast Boy shouted, tumbling out of the back seat.
"Yeah, who knew you were just as good with machines as you are plants?" Robin smirked, following the shape shifter out.
"Fist bump!" Beast Boy called out, meeting Oleander outside the driver's door, his closed hand extended. Oleander bumped his gloved fist with her own, tiny pale one, a humble grin on her lips.
"Eh, she was alright," Cyborg teased, slamming the passenger door behind him. As the group of six headed back up the tower, Oleander shot him a glare that couldn't intimidate a bunny.
"What was that?" she quipped, her high pitched, childish voice making her attempt at toughness laughable.
"Oh, nothing, just that I am surprised you could see over the dash," Cyborg chuckled smiling down at her.
"I saw easily out the windshield!" Oleander shot back, trying to keep from smiling.
"Barely," Cyborg snorted, shaking his head. "We should get a booster seat for you." They continued their playful banter, and the other's slowed to a crawl, allowing the two lovebirds some privacy as they continued to flirt. Raven watch Oleander try to kick Cyborg's metal calf to hurt him, and smiled a small smile when he laughed at her attempts. She made him happy, and the other's liked her… how on earth was she suppose to fix this mess?
No calls came in for the rest of the day, and each Titan spent their crime fighting free day doing various activities that suited them. When the sun set, they watched it together from the roof. When it grew chillier, each Titan left, one by one, until it was just Cyborg and Oleander, leaning on the small wall at the edge of the roof, the dizzying drop below them.
"Will I see you in the morning?" Oleander asked hopefully, peering up at her friend.
"Definitely," Cyborg grinned back. He leaned down and gave her a tender kiss on the cheek, before turning and leaving. Oleander's hand reached out, trying to keep him with her, trying to come up with a convincing argument as to why he should stay, but was lost for words. He disappeared down the stairwell, and Oleander headed to her own room with a sigh, her emotions mixed with sadness that he had left, and joy that he was still interested in her. She closed the glass door to her greenhouse, and sighed with relief as the humidity and heat of the room enveloped her. All about, thick green foliage grew, their bright flowers and creeping vines hanging from the ceiling. With Oleander's encouragement, the room had turned from a relatively bare room, with a moss bed and large bath, into a tiny jungle.
Oleander removed her white dress, humming lovingly to her plants, causing the vines about her to clamor up the wall, covering the see through glass and giving her privacy. The only side that remained uncovered was the one that ran along the sheer drop of the tower to the east, where the sun would appear. She laid down, naked on her moss bed, prepared to fall asleep and wait for the first morning rays to grace her skin, when a sharp knock on the door roused her.
Pulling back one of the vines tenderly, Oleander was shocked to find Raven standing outside her door. Silently, she redressed, her mind a hurricane of emotions and thoughts. She still wanted Raven to like her; they were, after all, a family, although the tension remaining from the fight was palpable. But she also knew that Raven could still be a threat, and she wasn't going to be scared of her anymore. Sure, she was still shy and quiet, but she wasn't weak.
Oleander opened the door, and the two girls stared at each other, wordlessly. After a few moments, Ollie's irritation grew and she rolled her doe like eyes. "Why didn't you just warp in? You haven't had a problem barging in before." Raven blinked in surprise, and then stared at the toes of her boots in embarrassment. "Are you going to come in?" Oleander asked, holding her arm out welcomingly.
Raven walked through the threshold, Oleander's head only reaching the ends of her purple, shoulder length hair. The humidity almost made her gag, and she quickly removed her cloak. Oleander sat with her legs crossed on her moss bed, and as Raven looked about, unsure of herself, Oleander kept herself from crafting a living bench for her to sit on. She was already being polite by letting her into her sanctuary, she didn't want Raven to feel like she belong here, not yet.
"You were wrong," Raven said , finally deciding just to stand awkwardly in front of her.
"What?" Oleander squeaked, her confusion making her already flute like voice even lighter.
"You said that night that I of all people knew what it was like to have people judge me based on my parents before getting to know me. You were wrong, for the most part. I haven't been mistreated due to my paternity in a very long time." Raven finally crossed her legs and hovered a few inches above the dirt of the floor. "When I met the others, when they found out who I was, they didn't chase me out of town, of hurt me, or say cruel things. They accepted me, knowing that I wasn't where I had come from, but who I chose to be." Oleander stared at her blankly. "I guess that makes what I did even worse," Raven chuckled nervously, looking anywhere but at the botanist before her. "I didn't have a reason to be bitter, or angry, or the treat you like that. I hadn't been treated like that in years. But I chose to do it to you." Raven closed her eyes, sighed, and finally looked Oleander in the eye. "I mistrusted you when you were a stranger, and even after you had proven yourself worthy of my trust, I withheld it. And once I found out whose daughter you were, I let my mistrust grow to aggression, and it was wrong. I of all people should know what it's like to be judged on where I come from, and yet I treated you like all the terrible people I knew before the Titans. I'm sorry, Oleander, for judging you on where you came from, and not on who you are."
Oleander stared at her, still unsure as to whether or not to let her guard down. "Who is it you ashamed to be the daughter of?" Oleander asked, narrowing her eyes. Raven bit her lip, not wanting to reveal, not wanting to pass this final test of trust.
"My father was Trigon," Raven finally said, her monotone voice only underlining the weight of the statement. Oleander blinked rapidly in surprise, trying to comprehend and come to terms with this new piece of information.
"Look like we both were born on the side of evil," Oleander muttered sadly.
"But we chose the side of good," Raven said, reaching out in a rare display of affection and placing it on Oleander's shoulder. "That's what matters most, and I'm sorry that it took me so long to remember it." Oleander grinned at Raven, tucking a free piece of green hair behind her ear and nodding.
"I forgive you, Raven," she said simply. A few more moments passed, and Oleander tackled Raven from the air onto the ground, enveloping her in a hug. At first Raven was irritated, but swallowed her spite and wrapped her arms around the girl, afraid of bruising the healing they had just done. "I've been waiting a long time for your approval," Oleander said, her voice muffled in Raven's chest. Raven gave the timid girl a sincere squeeze before pushing her back.
"You should have had it sooner," Raven sighed, offering a small, apologetic smile. They chatted for a few more minutes, and Raven eventually left, wishing her new friend goodnight before heading to her own room. Oleander bounced around the room for a few minutes in glee, before kicking off her dress and inhaling the scent and pollen of a neon yellow flower by her moss bed. As she laid down again, the pollen working into her brain's system and making her drowsy, she felt her heart warm with contented joy; she had finally found herself a place she belonged.