Holy crap! Eight reviews! That's one more than seven! Sweet! Thank you, to all of you who reviewed, and for those of you who didn't, well... thanks for reading this, at least! I hope you guys like this chapter. And guess what? It's my birthday! It's my birthday! Oh yeah! I am officially 14 years old! (bows to a clapping audience) Thank you! Thank you everyone! lol.

Okay, no more stalling. On with the story!

Disclaimer: The Titans aren't mine. Pft. Who would want to own a bunch of teenage super-heroes, anyway? ...TT I would! (cries)

Ch. 25: Home

It was a bright Saturday morning in Jump City. The citizens of the city were all outside, enjoying their days off from work and school, while hanging out at the beach or going to the movies. Yes, everyone was happy, or at the very least, content. Everyone, that is, except the teenagers of Titans Tower.

Rune Falle was in her bedroom on this sunny morning, filling her bags with her belongings. It didn't take her long to do, seeing as how she didn't bring all that much with her when she came two months ago. It was so hard for her to believe that she had already spent two months living here; the time had flown by so quickly. She folded her clothes and tried not to think about her situation much, hoping she could just forget about it all until next summer when she could hopefully stay for good.

Sadness: (sniff) I d-don't want to forget them! (crying)

'Am I the only person who thinks it's weird to have someone you can't see crying in your head?' She thought absently, as she finished packing her clothes and moved on to her other things.

Don't try to change the subject, Smarty said. Why would you ever want to forget these people? They were so kind to you. It would be very cruel to just leave and never look back.

'I can't afford to look back. I've gotten soft over the summer, and do you know how much I'm going to pay for it in my senior year of high school on Monday?'

Hope: You haven't gotten soft, Rune. Who knows? Maybe the kids at school will leave you alone this year.

'Yeah, and maybe Yuho will learn how to speak German and play the accordian,' Rune thought sourly.

Hm. I don't think you've gotten softer, Rune. You've just gotten more emotional, Smarty said, a hint of irony hidden in her words. In any case, this year you'll have us to help you out. If those kids bother you like they did last year, you can yell at them, just like you've done to Covyll, Andrew, and Sebastian! I'm sure that we can find a way to scare them so badly, they'll never mess with you again! At this point, Smarty began her evil laughter, scaring Fear and disturbing Rune.

'...Right. Well, thanks for at least trying to make me feel better. It worked a little... I think.'

And so Rune continued to gather all of her things from her room in the Tower, making sure not to leave anything behind. When she was finished, her suitcase, three shopping bags, and her new black back pack (which she bought for the new school year) were full. She sighed and slung the back pack over her shoulder, then held the three bags on one arm and her suitcase in the other hand.

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"Are you ready to go, Rune?" Raven asked. Everyone was gathered outside at the main entrance, waiting to see Rune off. All of her stuff was piled by a large boulder, waiting to be taken home.

"...Yeah. Yes, I'm ready," she responded.

"We'll see you next summer, Rune," Kimi said with a smile.

"'Summer'? Oh no no no, my lady. We shall visit our damsel during school breaks in winter and spring!" Andrew said. "Fear not, m'lady, for your army of brave knights shall never forget you!" Kimi coughed slightly. "And your fellow princesses! They shan't forget about you, either!" He finished with a flourished bow.

"Um...yeah okay, whatever. I think what he's trying to say is goodbye," Covyll said. "So yeah. Bye," he said akwardly, which was unusual for him.

"We'll miss you, Rune," Selina said softly. James, who was let out of the infirmary earlier this morning, nodded slightly in agreement. Rune smiled.

And finally, there was Sebastian. "Well, Rune, have fun in your senior year." Covyll chose this time to smack his friend in the head. "Ow! What was that for?" he asked angrily.

"The girl is leaving for a little over nine months, and all you can think to say is 'have fun in your senior year'?" Covyll asked. Sebastian looked away, mumbling incoherently to himself.

While the teenagers said their goodbyes, the adults said theirs.

"Hey, Raven, you should visit us more often," Changeling said.

"BB's right," Cyborg agreed, "we miss you, girl." Raven gave a rare smile, then an even rarer hug to her two friends.

"I missed you, too," she admitted, letting go. "Don't worry, I'm not going to disappear again."

"We'd find you even if you did," Nightwing said with a smirk.

"Yeah, probably. Well, we'll be going now," she said.

"Goodbye, Raven and Rune!" Starfire said.

"Bye," Rune said.

Raven used her powers to gather her daughter's bags and encircled the two of them with black energy. Without hesitation, the black energy took the shape of a giant raven and flew away, heading for Raya City.

Andrew sighed. "I'll miss having her around."

"Yeah...me too," Sebastian agreed.

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Rune and Raven had arrived home safely, and the former went straight to her room to unpack. Unsuprisingly, she found that it was the exact same way as she left it, but it had been kept dust-free. With a small sigh, she placed her bags on her bed and began to unpack.

'I'm going to miss the Tower. It was so huge; my apartment feels like a cardboard box in comparison. Whatever. I'll just have to get back to my normal routine--wake up, have tea, go to school, ignore the B.L.O.N.D.E.S.es, come home, do homework, go online, go to sleep; rinse and repeat.'

Wow, your life is boring.

'Tell me about it.'

Hope: What are the 'Blondes'?

'B.L.O.N.D.E.S.es. That's my name for all of the people at school who harrass me. It stands for 'Bitchy Lusting Obnoxious Neurotic Demented Emotional Sluts', because the majority of them are.'

Smarty laughed. Wow, that's pretty clever.

'Thanks.'

Rune had finished putting her clothes away and was now unpacking her other belongings. She put away her hair brush, tooth brush, tooth paste, mirror, shoes, pillow, and CDs. She also put her books on her shelf, her DVDs in the living room, and set up Yuho's stuff on her floor. Now the only thing left to put away was her photo album.

'...Maybe I'll just take a look at this for a while; I have nothing better to do.'

She lied down on her stomach on her bed and opened the book, immediately greeted by Bombay Dr.'s "Safari".

"We are going on a safari

See the lions from my ferrari

Hope we do not get the malari,

It's safari time."

While the rest of the song continued, Rune looked at the pictures in the album. The first page was decorated with triangles and squares, which were randomly placed on the paper. In the center was a group shot of the seven teens that Cyborg had taken only two days ago.

FLASHBACK:

It was Thursaday afternoon at the Tower, and the sun was just begining to set. The seven teens of Titans Tower were standing together, waiting for Cyborg to take a group shot of them. Covyll had his left arm around a blushing Selina's shoulders and was smirking suggestively. James was glaring with murderous intent at the teen, ready to kill in order to protect his little sister. Andrew and Kimi were next to them, with their arms linked together as they sung a song to the tune of "We're Off To See The Wizard". Rune and Sebastian stood to the left of them, laughing a little at how funny this all would look to a passerby.

"We're gonna take a picture,

The best little picture of all.

Of all the other pictures in the world

This one will be the bestest one!

"Oh yes, we're gonna take a picture,

The best little picture of all.

Of all the other pictures in the world,

This one will be the greatest one of all!"

"Do you think they're high?" Sebastian asked, talking about Andrew and Selina. Rune smirked.

"Nah, I think they're just drunk," she said, pointing to the couple who had just fallen backwards and begun laughing.

"Alright, y'all," Cyborg said, readying the camera, "say cheese!"

SNAP!

End FLASHBACK.

Rune smiled a little at the memory, and looked back at the picture. Covyll and James were stuck in a glaring contest with Selina blushing in the background, Kimi and Andrew were still on the ground laughing when the picture was taken, and Rune stood next to them with Sebastian, acting sane.

She turned the page and saw more random pictures. Most of them were pictures of two or three people, some were group shots, and some were just of one person. As she got two thirds the way through with the book, the song changed. She looked down at the screen and saw "Move Your Feet" by Junior Senior in glowing yellow letters.

'Another group from over a decade ago,' she thought.

Well, they did say they got the songs from Starfire's music collection.

"Don't stop, don't stop the feet

Won't stop, won't stop the beat and GO!

"Everybody, move your feet and feel united, ohohoh!

Everybody, move your feet and feel united, ohohoh!"

Rune looked back at the page she was on and saw that it had five pictures of Andrew and herself on it. Around the pictures he had written her a message.

"Hey, Rune!

I hope you have fun at your school this year. And if you don't, well then...huh, I don't have anything creative to say. Has hell frozen over! This is impossible! I always know what to say! (sigh) Oh well. If things don't go well at school, you can always call me via communicator and chat about it.

See you soon!

Andrew Stone"

Rune gave a sad smile and turned the page. The one on the left had five pictures and a note from Selina, and the one on the right had the same for James. First she read Selina's note, which was written in fluid-like handwriting.

"Hello, Rune.

I didn't know you for very long, but I will miss you; you're really a cool person to be around. I look forward to seeing you again, and hopefully sometime soon. Please don't start getting depressed about leaving. I don't know if you would, but just incase... Just remember that you should never start frowning, because you never know who's falling in love with your smile.

Sincerely,

Selina Matthews"

Awe, Selina's such a sweet girl. Rune wordlessly agreed and proceeded to read James's note.

"Hello.

I never talked to you, I don't know anything about you, and I'm not your friend, so I can't say anything such as, "Have fun at school," or "I'll miss you". What I can say, though, is that you are an interesting person. You are closed up, like I am, but unlike me, you are kind. I enjoyed being around you in Titans Tower, and I will enjoy the day we meet again.

Sincerely,

James Matthews"

After reading his note, she felt a little confused. He had never spoken to her, never spent time alone with her, never given any indication that he even knew she existed, but now he writes a note to her? A kind note? This was too weird to her. But still, she thought, it was thoughtful of him to leave her a note in the album.

Turn the page! I want to see the other notes, too!

Rune sighed in annoyance but obliged and turned the page. On the left side was Kimi's personalized page, and on the right side was Covyll's. On Kimi's page, the note was written in hot pink, unlike the silver color of the others' ink.

"Hey, girl!

I am really going to miss you! You are such a cool person to be around! Although, you should show off your curves a bit more, Rune--believe me, you are HOT! I can't wait until school is over, that way you can come live back at the Tower for good! Hope you have fun this year!

Love ya!

Kimi Platt"

"Yo.

Take care of yourself at school. Sebastian told Andrew and me about how that blonde whore pushed you down the stairs when you first met him. You're a Titan now; stick up for yourself. If someone tries to hurt you, kick their asses! I know you can, too; you've done it to me plenty of times. And if all else fails, call us--we'll be there in a heartbeat. Remember, no one can make you feel inferior without your consent. (1)

Later-

Covyll Ikira"

Rune was a bit suprised that Sebastian had told his friends what happened with Cassidy, and even more suprised that Covyll cared enough to offer help. Her vision became blurred for a few minutes before she gained control of herself and her emotions again; she did not let a single tear fall. Instead, she smiled and tuned the page.

The last page was Sebastian's. Rune looked at the pictures on his page and her heart skipped a beat, which confused her greatly.

'Why would I have that kind of a reaction?' She thought. 'What does that mean? He's my...my friend; they all are. I've never had a reaction like that when I was around him, so why now? (mental sigh) Whatever. What does his note say?'

She looked down at the album again and saw that Sebastian's note was very short; only one line. Slightly disappointed, she read.

"Lighten up and live life like there was no tomorrow, because it looks like you live a lonely life.

Stay cool,

Sebastian Grayson"

He's right, you know. You've smiled more yesterday and today than you have since...forever!

Unknown: No... she smiled... when she was younger...

'Who are you?'

Unknown: I am your loneliness.

Sadness: (crying) You're already depressed! Your friends will be so disappointed when they find out! Waaaahh!

Huh. And shut up, Sadness! Rune, you're not depressed. So, why did this emotion suddenly-?

Loneliness: No. I have been with Rune ever since...ever since she was first betrayed, when she was eight...

'And you never bothered to say anything because...?'

Loneliness: ...I... ...Nevermind.

For the remainder of the morning, Rune, Smarty, and Hope continued trying to get Loneliness to speak again, however nothing that they did worked. After a while, Rune left the emotion alone and continued looking through her album. The third song that her book played, she later found out, was "Kung Fu Fighting" by Fatboy Slim.

Wow, that was a really long chapter. I think it was mainly because of all the dialogue, though. There was more I wanted to add, but it'd just be too long! And I didn't want those songs to be double-spaced. (sigh) Oh well. Okay, for that little number one (1) I put, that quote is from Robert Frost, but in the story we're saying that Covyll made it up. And just to make sure I don't end up getting sued, I never own any of the songs or bands in this story unless I say I do. And FYI, the song "We're Gonna Take A Picture" was written by me, so I own it.

Okay, so I hope you enjoyed this rather long chapter, leave me a review, and have a nice day! (Or night, depending on when you read this).

---Later!