Chapter Twelve

Starfire and I were happily playing with the baby while the three boys worked at cleaning up the house when there was a faint knock. I was unsure I had heard it; only when Starfire looked at me did I acknowledge the noise. I continued to sit with Tyler in my lap; The little boy had his eyes closed and his head on my leg. The rain drummed a steady beat as Starfire stood up and opened the door.

It was a classic case of mistaken identity. In walked a woman roughly my height and weight, wearing an oversized raincoat. Her rain-soaked hair was purple at the tips, a shade like my own, and she was extremely pale.

Little Tyler's eyes opened a little wider at the sight of this woman, who was not speaking, looking around in worry at the damage her son had caused. (Robin, being the logical man he is, had chosen to start with the damage to the bathroom and his own room). "Mama!"

The woman smiled and held out her arms, and I felt Tyler being lifted away from my leg. I felt a momentary sadness, but I managed to smile.

"Why did you choose to leave Tyler with us?" Starfire asked the woman suddenly, which seemed to me like a very good question to be asking.

"I needed him to be safe," said the woman, brushing his hair back. "I'm sorry to have imposed on you the way I did, but I needed somewhere safe for him to go, and I just thought that…"

"We aren't professional babysitters," I reminded the woman, but gently, smiling at the baby she held in her arms. "We had a hell of a time with him."

"I'm sorry for the damage to your living room…" She said, her eyes growing wider as she noted each little ding and dent in the wall. "And about him. I just panicked. His father…"

"We met him," I said gently.

"You did?" Her eyes grew wide in terror. "Where is he? Was everything okay? I never thought he would…"

Starfire placed her hand on the woman's shoulder. "He will not be bothering you anymore, I can assure you."

"Oh thank you," she said, holding the baby closer to her, and I smiled. I knew what that relief felt like, having recovered Tyler only two hours before.

There was a moment of silence, an awkward beat. "Well," she said softly, looking at Tyler, "I had better get going. Thank you so much for all of your trouble."

"We were most happy to have him," Starfire said with a sad smile, and I knew she did not want the baby to leave anymore than I had.

Suddenly, Tyler turned in his mother's arms and began to squirm. "No want leave!" He cried, reaching over his shoulder for me. My heart melted and I stepped forward instinctively. The least understandable thing in the world should be why I got attached to the kid. I think the thing of it is children are innocent. You can trust them. They won't hurt you- They haven't figured out how to hurt yet.

"We'll come back another day," she told Tyler, who was latching onto my hand. I smiled at him. "Would you like that?" His mother asked.

"Yes! Come back and play!" He grinned ear to ear and shook one of my fingers. I let him, disjoint, realizing that we would see the child again. In a way, it melted my heart.

Starfire was less subtle, grabbing me and the baby and his mother in a bone-crushing hug. "We shall have ever so much fun! We shall eat enjoyable food and play wonderful games and be happy!" She released us and we all staggered slightly on the spot.

"Bye-bye!" Tyler said finally. I watched him leave, a smile slight on my lips. The peace that had started the day fell over the house. I could hear Robin swearing overhead, the ceiling cracking as they stepped on wet spots.

I settled back down with my book contentedly when Starfire came over and sat by my side. "We have done a good job then, friend Raven? We will be allowed to see the baby again?"

"Yes," I replied, smiling at her for the first time in days. "And Starfire… I'm glad we spent time together today."

"I am most glad too!" Starfire hugged me, another bone-crushing hug, and I let her, feeling relaxed in a way I normally would not have. "Next time, though," she whispered to me, looking around, "I will let you sit upon the baby."

I actually laughed at her continued misconception. I never got to correct her though, as Robin's voice thundered down from above:

"Is he gone yet?"

I smirked to myself slightly. "Starfire and I have agreed to watch him for a few hours next week."

I wish, for all the world, I could've seen his face.

Peace, or whatever peace is for the five of us, reigned back over the tower, and I dipped my head into my book.

Outside, the rain finally stopped.

END

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