Disclaimer: No, I don't own Teen Titans.

Chapter 28

The door to Starfire's room slid open, letting a stream of florescent light illuminate the pink rug.

"Robin?" Starfire squinted her eyes against the harsh light, "perhaps this is not the best of times - Ryan has done the sleeping of over and-"

"It's Raven," the empath stopped her, not wanting to think about what Robin and Starfire did in the mornings when Ryan was not present, "I just came to get Ryan. I'm on wake-up duty."

"Oh, I see," Starfire patted the pile of sheets beside her, "he is somewhere within the fabric of my bed."

Raven levitated over to the bed and leaned over the bundle.

"Get up," she ordered.

She had expected a fight. Marie had almost blown up the bedroom when Raven tried to pry her from her bunk. It was a miracle Beast Boy was able to sleep through it. She scowled at the thought. Beast Boy, who passed back out tucked comfortably into bed after she returned from her room, got a GREAT night's sleep. Raven woke up slouched against the wall at his feet, with a painful crick in her neck. Apparently Marie was extremely attuned to her parents' energies. Anytime Raven tried to escape, Marie called her back. It was impressive, and also really odd, for someone who appeared to be an otherwise deep sleeper.

Ryan was a totally different child. His resemblance to Beast Boy did, of course, make Raven assume that he would be equally as fond of his precious 'beauty sleep'. Likewise, she had assumed Marie would be more like her and Robin - an early riser. Apparently, in this case, nurture had defeated nature.

"I'm up!" Ryan kicked off the covers and lifted his arms, expecting to be picked up.

"Can't you just...walk?"

Ryan lowered his arms, lower lip jutting out sadly.

"Ugh, fine," she lifted the child onto her hip. There was no need to start the day listening to a crying four-year-old.

The scent of eggs and waffles greeted her as she stepped into the kitchen, depositing Ryan on the seat next to Marie. The little boy was wide awake, eagerly sniffing at the air.

"Are we having waffles?!" He grinned, "I love wa-"

"NO," Robin waved a spatula in his direction, "you're getting scrambled eggs."

"Oh," Ryan frowned, then, as excited as before, "can I have eggs with cheese?"

Robin considered it for a moment, then shrugged, "I don't see why not."

"Yay!" Ryan was practically bouncing in his seat.

Marie was basically passed out on the counter.

"Marie," Robin called over his shoulder as he tended to the eggs, "you have to wake up."

"Ffffmis," she mumbled burrowing her head further into her arms.

"Now," Robin shot her a stern glare.

Marie shot up at his tone, and faked a wide-eyed smile until he turned back around, and let her head drop back onto her arms.

"MARIE!" Robin caught her again.

"Ahh!"

Ryan's place setting exploded, spilling orange juice all over his night shirt.

"I'm sorry Daddy!" Ryan cried, "I-I didn't do it! Marie-"

"I know who did it," Robin shushed him, facing the culprit, "Marie. You can't keep falling asleep at the table. It's morning. It's time to start the day."

"Daddy doesn't wake up in the morning," she yawned.

"And here I was worrying that Beast Boy might become a mature adult," Raven walked over to Marie, "do you want to meditate before or after breakfast?"

"They need a schedule Raven. How can you expect them to respect that if you let them start making their own decisions about when to do things?"

"I don't," Raven replied, "she needs to meditate. The exact time it happens is irrelevant."

"After," Marie said into the counter, "wanna sleep more."

"Marie-"

"Daddy - do you smell that?" Ryan sniffed the air.

Robin knotted his brow, taking a deep breath through his nose.

"The waffles!" He rushed over to the waffle maker, producing two burnt crisps.

"Not eating that," Marie mumbled, "and not eating eggs."

"But-"

"Do you really want to start a fight this early?" Raven asked, "just make her two more."

"I can help!" Ryan jumped off his stool and rushed around to the other side of the counter. Robin put a hand out to stop him.

"No," he pushed Ryan back, "this," he gestured to the stove, "is hot. It's too dangerous for you."

"But my starbolts are hot!" Ryan demonstrated, "I can-"

"I said no," Robin repeated, "now, go sit back down with Marie," he focused again on the waffle recipe, "see if you can wake her up."

Ryan returned to his seat, rejected. His negative emotions were grating on Raven's nerves. She was supposed to be alone at this hour. Peacefully meditating while no one else was awake to bother her with their feelings.

"So," Raven attempted, "uh, how'd you sleep?"

Ryan stared at her blankly. Was that not a good conversation starter for a four-year-old?

"Good," he said, simply.

Raven tried a different subject.

"You, uh, like cheese in your eggs, huh?"

Ryan nodded.

"Do you...like any other foods?"

"Yeah!" Ryan grinned broadly.

Raven listened with as much interest as she could muster, while Ryan happily chattered away about his favorite dishes - many of which included foreign phrases and terrifying names like 'mustard soup' and 'mint ice cream and pickle pizza'. Somehow, during the course of the one-sided discussion, Ryan had managed to drag her down into the seat next to him, causing Marie to readjust herself onto Raven's lap, using Raven's cape as a blanket.

"Ok," Robin called, fairly cheerfully considering how morose he'd been over the past few days, "food's ready!"

The fresh morning air and a well-cooked breakfast had that kind of an effect on him. He was always at his best early in the day, grateful that he had survived another evening of nightmares, or thankful for a good night's sleep, he woke up happy. The feeling lasted through breakfast, and then his mood would steadily decrease during the day, save for a few moments with Starfire or some video games with the guys. Otherwise, his mind slowly filled with the stresses and fears and complications of life as the leader of the titans. This was one of the reasons he and Starfire had, unbeknownst to the rest of the titans, began spending an hour in the early morning together, just sitting in her room and enjoying each other's company. He knew how much Star craved affection, and openness, and he felt that he was at his most carefree just after waking, so his new routine had been to wake up an hour earlier than usual and go straight to her room. He was, as everyone was aware, a man of order. It wouldn't have occurred to the other titans that he had deviated from his carefully set regimen if he still showed up in the common room at the same time. Of course, as children are apt to do, Ryan and Marie's arrival had interrupted this custom. So today, instead of spending his first, unblemished hour with Starfire, he was, despite his earlier waffle annoyance, fairly happily dishing out eggs and waffles while Raven occupied the kids.

Needless to say, Starfire was not thrilled when she walked in.

Starfire felt honored that Robin had entrusted her with his most precious hour of the day. It was their time together. A time which no one else was allowed to share with him. Even when the other titans rose early, each of them had their own routine, and existed in parallel until they mustered up the strength to start the day properly and enter the common room. Yes, only Starfire was privileged to enjoy Robin at his best. Surely, this was a marker of a strong relationship - the sharing of prized possessions and secrets and times together, that only the two that are romantically involved might experience together. This meant that no one else, no one that was not in the relationship, was supposed to be given access to such things. It was forbidden. A violation of the love shared between two beings - or so Starfire believed. Thus, when she opened the door to the common room, preparing to greet her friends and hug her dear Ryan, her smile faltered.

There was Robin. Robin, currently at his morning best. Something only Starfire was supposed to enjoy. And he was happily eating breakfast...with Raven.

Of course, it wasn't just Raven. There were two children with them. But this only made the situation worse. The image before her immediately morphed in Starfire's mind. Robin and Raven were no longer in their uniforms, but traditional Earthen garb - the normal clothes of the people of Earth that Starfire had often witnessed on the streets and the mall of shopping. The industrial metal kitchen became a cozy country affair - like Starfire had seen in the movies of the families. Yes - Robin and Raven, sitting there like two well-suited humans in their civilian clothes, in their perfect kitchen, in their perfect home, with two happy little children chirping away, seemed very much like a normal Earth family. Indeed, had Starfire not been boiling on the inside, she might have admitted that they looked most sweet. But even as the accoutrements faded from her mind, the facts still stood. Raven and Robin were having breakfast, while a little girl that looked very much like - or rather, was their daughter, snuggled up to Raven, and Ryan, very much engaged in their conversation, was sidling up to both of them, eagerly commanding their attention like a proud son. Even now, as titans, sitting in their communal kitchen, Raven and Robin seemed like a family. A family that did not include Starfire.

"AHEM," Starfire coughed loudly, stepping further into the room.

"Hey Star," Robin smiled, pointing to the pan on the stove, "I saved some eggs for you. I think there's some mustard left too."

Raven got up as soon as Starfire approached them, eager to get away from Ryan's rambling. She was getting sick of hearing about things that made her...sick. To Starfire, it looked like the jolt of a guilty woman after she has been caught in the arms of her married lover. Had Starfire been in a better state of mind, she might have noted that she should probably stop watching so many soap operas with Cyborg.

"You can have my seat," Raven stood up, fighting the urge to drop Marie to the ground, "Marie and I need to meditate."

"Do I have to?" Raven set the whining girl on the ground.

"Believe me - I'm as thrilled as you are."

Starfire eyed the two empaths as they walked towards the bay windows.

"Star?" Robin frowned, creasing his brow, "is everything ok?"

"I know not," Starfire folded her arms, "it seems you and Raven were engaged in a most entertaining discussion."

"Not really," he smiled, "Ryan was getting carried away talking about all the...uh...amazing things you feed him."

"Hmph," Starfire remained unconvinced of his innocence.

"Can I go meditate too?" Ryan tugged on Starfire's glove.

"Do you...usually meditate?" Robin raised a brow.

"Sometimes!" He grinned, "I got my own mana too!"

"What's that?" Robin asked, intrigued.

"Bostaff, bird-a-rang, kung-fu," he recited proudly.

"Nice," Robin smiled.

Ryan beamed. His father was always nicest in the morning. He tried not to think about what he would be like later in the day.

"Ok, you can go," Robin shooed him, and Ryan ran over to Marie, sitting on the floor next to where she was hovering.

"Bostaff, bird-a-rang, kung-fu."

Raven raised an eyelid, observing the newest member of what was fast becoming her meditation 'club'. She sighed, then got back to her own mantra. She'd just have to work on tuning Ryan out as well as Marie.

The way Starfire saw it, Ryan had just abandoned her for the woman he deemed a superior mother. This did not improve her mood.

"Did you enjoy your breakfast, boyfriend Robin?"

"Uh, yeah. Star, is there something wrong?" He asked, confused at her sour demeanor.

"I was of the impression that the morning hours were reserved. Or is everyone now allowed to join you after you wake?"

"What?" Realization of his faux pas dawned upon him, "no! I wasn't-"

"I see," Starfire turned her back to him, "then it is only friend Raven that is allowed."

"Star-"

"Perhaps I was wrong. Perhaps you have lacked the honesty," she looked at him over her shoulder, eyes narrowed, "perhaps you have already done the enjoying of Raven's grebnacks!"

"Raven's what?" Beast Boy stepped into the kitchen, "oo! Are these soy waffles?!"

He sniffed Marie's half-eaten breakfast and wrinkled his nose. They were not.

"STAR! I WOULDN'T-" then, more quietly, unsure of how long Beast Boy would be distracted by his grumbling tummy, "Starfire - look, I'm sorry I didn't come to your room, ok? I had to wake the kids up - it's all in the schedule. So I had to go wake Raven up-"

"You went into her BEDROOM?!" Starfire's fists clenched in starbolts.

"No!" He gestured for her to lower her voice, "she was in Beast Boy's room. Apparently Marie's still scared of the monsters from that video game."

Starfire was not satisfied with this information.

"So you admit it then. You knowingly went to the room of Beast Boy to greet RAVEN before ME?!"

"Star-"

"This is unacceptable, Robin," she stood, slamming her fists down and denting the new counter. Robin winced on the inside. Cyborg was not going to be happy about that.

"But I-"

"There is nothing you may say that will make this the right," she informed him.

"I won't do it again - I promise!" Robin held his hands up in surrender, "I-I didn't know you felt so strongly about it. I'm sorry." He was saying that a lot these days, it seemed.

Starfire eyed him, contemplating how she should go about resolving the issue to her own liking. She was displeased that he greeted Raven before her, this much was true. She was equally as displeased that he had shared his first hours with her. But what upset her most of all was the idea of Robin having a family without her. Logically, the chances of this happening were minuscule. But she was a woman of Tamaran, a people for whom emotion was the driving factor in their lives. Logic was secondary. She needed to act now. But what to do? Starfire thought back to the various media she had consumed with friends Beast Boy and Cyborg. Had she not witnessed such a show wherein the family did the bonding with a picnic? And other outdoor events that were not including of the friends? Yes. That seemed most appropriate.

"Robin," she announced, looking him in the eyes, "we are in need of the family outing."

"The...what?"

"The outing of the family. We shall prepare the picnic or enjoy to the park of amusement or go to the mall of shopping or..."

Robin zoned out as Starfire listed the infinite possibilities for their day of familial fun. Truth be told, Robin never really had any family outings. His mentor wasn't the type to want to take him anywhere that wasn't being robbed or attacked. His parents...he was sure he had done fun things with them, right? His efforts to repress those aspects of his memory had definitely dimmed his recall ability, but...they lived at a place where other families went for fun, right? Did that count as a family outing for them too?

"Ok," he interrupted, "let's do it."

"Oh..." Starfire was shocked by his quick response, "are you...the sure?"

"Yeah."

"You have none of the desire to do the arguing? And the saying of no? And the storming of off to the room of evidence where you might hide until I have perhaps forgotten that which I have suggested-"

"We can do it, ok?" He insisted, "if it's what you want, I'll give it a try. It might not be so bad."

Starfire's eyes brimmed, and she clasped her hands together, now more excited at the prospect of a family outing than angered by Robin's perceived infidelity.

"Oh, thank you boyfriend Robin!" She pecked his cheek and spun around in the air, "I must do the planning!"

"WAIT!" He stopped her, "we can't go anywhere unless Cyborg makes everyone holorings."

Starfire nodded, "I shall inform him," then shot out of the room.

Robin sighed. He hadn't had much of a choice really. He couldn't have Starfire going around yelling about him cheating on her with Raven. Raven might kill him. And who knew - maybe spending the day with Starfire and Ryan wouldn't be so bad. He glanced at the green boy, whose efforts at meditation had put him to sleep. Robin shook his head. He was just so...Beast Boy.

"Hey, Rae!" The green teen plopped down on the couch, then, to the kids, "morning guys!"

"DADDY!" Marie flew over to him and landed in his lap.

"Oomph!" Beast Boy tried to catch his breath from the unexpected impact, "hey."

"Beast Boy," an irate Raven lowered herself to the ground, "you can't keep distracting her. She needs to meditate or-"

"No!" Ryan was blown three feet into the air, then fell back down, fully awake, on his bottom.

"Wahhhhhhh!"

Starfire flew over to tend to her bumgorf, while Raven glared.

"Or that happens."

"But I didn't mean to!" He protested, "I just said 'hi'!"

Raven rubbed her temples in exasperation.

"Ok, new rule. When Marie and I are meditating, you're not allowed in the room."

"But how am I supposed to know if-"

"Because you'll be sleeping. Or in training. Why are you even awake? It's not even noon yet."

Beast Boy shrugged, "I dunno."

"So Robin coming in and waking me up and Marie throwing a tantrum had nothing to do with it?"

"Huh?" Beast Boy looked at her blankly, and she put a hand to her forehead.

"Never mind."

"I, uh, think I was cold."

"What?"

"I think - when you guys left, it got colder. I'm, uh, not used to temperature changes while I'm sleeping."

Raven raised an eyebrow.

"You nap out here all the time. People are always coming and going - that never stops you."

Beast Boy scratched his neck, cheeks darkening, "you were, uh, in my bed..."

Raven narrowed her eyes, unsure of where he was going.

"so the sheets...and the mattress...they were, uh, warm. And then it was cold...when you left..." he stammered.

"Ok..." Raven lowered her brow, "well, it's been two days. Marie should get over it soon. So hopefully we won't be stuck in there again."

Beast Boy nodded, "yeah, hopefully. My whole body's cramped up from having to stay on one side of the bed," he struggled to crack his back with Marie still sitting on him.

"Excuse me?" Raven put her hands on her hips, "I was the one forced to sleep against the wall."

"Yeah. You got to be all stretched out against the wall, and I was being totally gentleman-y by giving you half the bed!"

"Your feet were well over the halfway line."

"Only because I know you have a thing for my feet," he waggled his sneakers at her.

She rolled her eyes, black energy pulling off his shoes and kicking him in the head.

"OW!"

"Hahahaha!" Marie followed suit, taking over the abandoned sneakers and proceeding to keep kicking Beast Boy with them, only slightly less vigorously than her mother had.

"Ow! Ah! Oo!" Beast Boy tried to defend himself, swatting at the shoes, "Raven! Help!"

"I don't think so," she opened the common room door, "next time, don't interrupt my meditation."