Yay! Thank you for the reviews, kind readers. I hope that this chapter is better than the last one. I don't have much else to say, so just read the happy little chapter, and enjoy!

---Jaime

Disclaimer: You know the drill –I don't own the Titans, I'm just a pathetic little girl with no life who enjoys writing.

Ch. 35: Memories

The newest generation of Titans was all sitting in the living room, entertaining themselves in random ways. For instance, while Andrew and Covyll played video games at the movie-theater-quality television of the main room, Selina sat on the floor between them playing with a ball of string. Kimi watched the younger girl's felinity, curious as to why she was so enthralled by the string… James was sitting on the other side of the couch, showing an interested Sebastian one of the new books he bought in Raya City. While the group of six spent their free time lazing around, Changeling and Cyborg entered the main room with a new guest in tow. No one really paid them any mind, so Changeling decided on the loudest way to get their attention. After turning into a rather large green elephant, a great sound bellowed out from his core with the effect that the six teens jumped out of their seats in fright. The green man transformed back into his usual form and smiled at his taller companion.

"…Yeah. Hey guys, come here," Cyborg said, as the other kids glared at Changeling. "Meet the newest Titans of the bunch."

Their attention was turned to a petite girl in the background, whose skin bordered on ivory with a hint of peach. Her pale blonde hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail tied up with a black bow, the free flowing locks in the back having been curled; it matched well with her sky blue eyes. She wore a strapless, form-fitting dress in such a dark shade of navy that it was almost black, just like the night sky. She wore matching gloves that extended to just below her shoulders and black, flat-heeled boots that reached her mid calves. However, it wasn't her angelic face or fashionable appearance that left the others speechless. It was the two blue butterfly wings on her back, which were no higher than her neck and no lower than her waist; they matched the alluring hue of her eyes.

"This is Melody Matahari," Cyborg said. "She's gonna join our team, but you should know-"

Before Cyborg could continue, everyone noticed Melody's eyes widen as she let out a breathy gasp of surprise. She quickly glided over to the object of her attention, her wings flapping gently to support her weight as she hovered a few inches above the ground. James raised an eyebrow as the girl gave him a light hug before she stepped back and said something that James could not understand. She smiled at him, and he resisted an urge to smile back at the rather cute girl. Before any more words could be said, Starfire and Nightwing entered the main room, as well. They spotted the new girl and made their way over to the small group of Titans. Starfire smiled at her and began conversing with Melody in the same language that none of the others understood.

Cyborg smiled. "As I was saying, she doesn't speak English –only Japanese, apparently."

"We're gonna train her until the new t-" Immediately, Nightwing and Cyborg jumped on Changeling to silence him.

"Ookaaayy," Covyll spoke for everyone. The two men dragged their smaller friend into another room, never to be seen again. At least, until dinner was made. Looking back at Melody and Starfire, Covyll asked, "So how are we supposed to know what she's telling us?"

"I will be teaching her English," Starfire responded. "But you're welcome to learn Japanese, as well."

"Well, where's she from?" Kimi asked. "Seriously, she doesn't look Japanese."

"She told me that she is from France, however her mother took her to an orphanage while she was a baby." Melody spoke to the older woman for another minute before Starfire continued. "She says that she was soon adopted by a Japanese couple while she was still very young, and learned Japanese as her native language. Apparently, her mother was very ill, and knew Melody would end up in the orphanage eventually."

Melody then pointed to James and apparently asked for his name, because Starfire responded with it. Melody smiled at James again and spoke to him, and while he didn't know what she was saying, her voice was very pleasing to his ears.

"Hajimemashite! Watashi ha Melody desu! Ogenki desuka, James-san?" She said. James stared blankly at her, causing Starfire and Melody to giggle.

Starfire decided to translate for the poor boy. "She said, 'Pleased to meet you! I am Melody! How are you, Mr. James?' "

"Oh," was the pathetic response. "Um…fine?"

Starfire translated that into Japanese for the newest Titan to understand, making the blonde giggle. Some more words were exchanged between the two before Starfire grabbed Melody's hand and dragged her out of the room. But not before the girl could turn back to James and wave.

"De ha mata!" She called. ("See you later/soon")

James blinked. Selina, Andrew, and Kimi were laughing lightly in the background, while Sebastian and Covyll smirked.

"Heh, wow. I think she likes you," Covyll stated. When James didn't respond, the room got quiet. Everyone was staring open-mouthed at James, who stared at the curiously.

"…What?"

Andrew and Kimi ran over to stand in front of James, a serious invasion to his personal space. "You like her, too!" they accused. Selina was giggling behind them.

The redhead glared at the pair. "Tch, how ridiculous."

"Awe, Jamesy-poo's in wuv!" Covyll teased, earning a death glare of his own.

"No, I am not." He turned to escape the annoying group and headed for his own room. And in his passing, Selina was the only one who noticed the lightest hue of pink staining her brother's face. The almighty James was blushing. She just smiled, but did not reveal this information to the others; Covyll would never let James live it down.

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James Matthews sat in his slowly darkening room as the sun outside dipped low beneath the horizon. He lied above the comforter on his bed, thinking about the many situations he'd been in as a child, and even more so as he got older. Specifically, he was thinking about his parents. Narrowing aquamarine eyes slightly in disgust, he remembered how horribly his mother and father suited the title of "parents". They were not ready for the job; they didn't even want it. His mother and father had wanted to have "fun", but they refused to accept responsibility for it. They hated the two consequences of the constant fooling around they did, also known as Selina and James Matthews. Sighing softly in boredom, James recalled the events leading up to their orphan hood.

FLASHBACK:

It had been ten years since Mrs. Matthews gave birth to the daughter she never wanted, and what a dreadful decade it had been for the Matthews siblings. Despite being brought up in such horrible and abusive conditions, Selina was a bright and benevolent young girl. She ignored the constant insults from her parents, instead smiling gently at them whenever she was called a "freak" or even worse names that should never be said of a child. James envied her composure, wondering how in the world she could endure not only the mental abuse, but also the physical she would rarely receive. James, too, was insulted and beaten, but he was not as kind and forgiving as his younger sister –he cursed his parents, despising their very existence with every fiber of his being. He never spoke back then, except to Selina. Upon bringing up his hatred for their mother and father once, he asked how she could remain so calm.

"How can you be so peaceful?" he asked, as Selina cleaned the wound Mr. Matthews had given his son. In a fit of anger, the man had thrown a glass bowl at his son's head. What a loving father, no? "How is it you can forgive them for all that they do to us?"

Selina smiled sadly at her older brother while dabbing some hydrogen peroxide at the cut in his forehead; he winced slightly, unwilling to show his pain. "Nobody's perfect," she said softly. "While their mean words may hurt our feelings, at least they pay attention to us, even if it does always end up bad. It means that they care about us, even just a little…"

"Yeah, right," James said. "They hate us and you know it."

"They can't truly hate us without having loved us at some point. Otherwise, they just wouldn't care at all…"

James marveled at the kindness and wisdom his sister displayed at such a young age. Could she really be ten years old? She sounded like a senior citizen. Looking away, he thought about everything Selina had just said, silently agreeing. But there was still something on his mind.

"And the bruises?" he asked, watching the wall instead of his sibling. She froze for a second, and then continued applying the bandage to James's head. "Can you forgive them for all those times they've hurt you? Do you truly not care?"

Selina sighed, resting her hands in her lap. Looking up at James, she answered. "It does hurt…but then I think of you. I worry more about you, and hope that someday mom and dad will realize what they've done…I know it's dumb, but I can't help but hope for the best."

James understood what she meant. Every time their parents had started to hit Selina, James would get in their way. He would push her aside and take her punishment for himself, leaving him bruised and sometimes bloody. At those times, he longed to use his power to attack his parents, but always refrained. Selina wouldn't like that at all. So he took it all, the pain and hate, all to protect his sweet innocent little sister. In return, Selina stood on pins and needles around Mr. and Mrs. Matthews, being as perfect as possible to avoid more fighting. She only spoke when spoken to, she and James cleaned the apartment until it shined, she was well mannered, and she never disobeyed an order from her parents. But sometimes, they would get drunk; that's when no amount of perfection would help her, and so it was James who played the hero. Selina truly admired and respected her brother for his bravery.

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Unfortunately, the day came when the inevitable happened; James knew that one day, his parents would go too far, and he was right. Selina had been cooking that night's dinner, when Mrs. Matthews came home from her job as a waitress. It was obvious that the woman was drunk again by her disheveled appearance, but Selina didn't stare. That was a free pass to a harsh beating in the Matthews household. Regardless, Mrs. Matthews walked over to her daughter and stared hard at the back of her head. Selina worked quietly, slicing carrots while the water on the stove heated to boil. Then, without warning, the older woman growled in rage and took the pot of scalding water, dumping the contents onto her daughter's head. Selina screamed in pain and fell to the ground, crying from both shock and hurt.

"You worthless wretch!" the woman yelled, kicking her poor child. "You're horrible! Look at you, dressed in rags! Don't look at me with your cat-eyes, you filthy bitch! You're a disgrace; I regret ever giving birth to a demon like you!"

At some point during the onslaught, James had run out to see what had happened. Without thinking, he rushed to his sister and tried to help her up, hoping to get her away from the deranged woman. But Mrs. Matthews would have none of that.

"And who do you think you are, kid, protecting her all the time? Let her fight her own battles, you stupid child! You're just as worthless as she is!"

And it continued until she was satisfied with the two injured children in her kitchen. "Clean this mess up, you useless bastards!" she had shouted before leaving them broken and bleeding on the floor. Selina whimpered quietly in a corner, her skin slightly red; she was lucky the water wasn't boiling. James was breathing heavily after his beating. He had purposely aggravated his mother at one point, to ensure she would leave his sister alone. However, the cost of Selina's safety –no matter how painful- was always worth it to see her smile again. Looking over at his crying sister, he knew she would not be cheerful for a while. She was in shock, not understanding how her mother could hate her so much.

"What did I do wrong?" she asked James as he rubbed medicine on her more severe burns in his room. "Why does she hate me so much? Am I really that bad…?"

"Don't say that," James demanded harshly. "It's not you who's been bad. It's them. They are horrible parents. You should not have had to endure those insults, or that pain. You did nothing wrong, Selina."

"I-I thought that there was some goodness in everyone…that no one was truly evil…but now I'm starting to think I was wrong…"

He let her cry herself to sleep in his bed, holding her hand to let her know he was there to protect her. As her breathing slowed and regulated, his eyes narrowed in absolute loathing. He stood, determined to make his parents pay for their wrongful actions. Silently, he exited his room and made his way to his parents' bedroom, closing and locking the door behind him. His mother and father looked at him through the cigarette smoke lingering in the air, asking what he was doing "burdening them with his useless presence". Instead of answering, James smirked the first of many sinister smirks as he neared their bed with his hand in the air.

The next morning, Selina woke up to see James smiling kindly with breakfast made. She asked where their parents were, and he said that they had left.

"They're never going to hurt you again, Selina," he responded vaguely. Somehow, she knew what he'd done the previous night, but instead of feeling sad, she accepted it. There was no changing their fates now. Together, the siblings ate a small breakfast alone, each one's smile gently growing as they realized they were safe from their parents' unjustified wrath.

End FLASHBACK.

'Yes, I gave them what they deserved,' James thought, giving a trademark smirk to the darkness around him. 'I don't think Selina ever approved, but she understood. She started smiling again, even when children services took us to an orphanage…'

Shaking his head, the redhead ignored the rest of his memories, labeling them as unnecessary. Instead, he searched his bed blindly for his stereo remote. Upon locating said device, he turned on a favorite song of his. As he was encompassed by the calm yet haunting melody, James closed his eyes and gently hummed along to the instrumental tune of the song. Unbeknownst to the teenage boy, a surprise visitor was sneaking into his bedroom seemingly unnoticed. As the newcomer glided over to his bed, they tilted their head to the side in curiosity. As they moved their hand to tap him on the shoulder, James used his control over the wind to quickly pin them against his wall with his eyes closed. Still lying in his relaxed position, two aquamarine eyes opened slightly to peer out at the intruder.

"Eh he he," Melody laughed sheepishly. "Gomen nasai, James-san." (I'm sorry, James)

Realizing whom it was, James released the blonde from his wall and watched as she floated over to him again with a smile on her face. She really did have a beautiful smile, in his opinion. Not that he would ever say that aloud… She sat next to him on the bed, sitting with her legs to the side in a lady-like fashion. He looked up at her, wondering why she was sneaking into his room, but knowing better than to ask; she could not yet speak English. She glanced around his room for a moment before her eyes landed on his stereo. Smiling, she flew over to it with the help of her delicate wings. James sat up and watched the girl rummage through his CDs before she found one and put it into the player. Resting on his elbows, he watched in curiosity as she switched to a specific track, and then listened in fascination as she sang along.

"Dancing shadows on the wall,

Watching…waiting…wanting…

Careful or for sure you'll fall,

(It's you they're hunting)"

James was only mildly surprised that she could at least sing in English; he'd listened to Selina singing songs in Japanese and Spanish before, and this was no different. But it wasn't the English lyrics that kept his eyes glued to her or his heart beating rapidly in his chest. No, it was her beautiful voice flowing sinuously throughout his dark room that kept him entranced. Melody's name suited her very well, he thought absently. Her voice was so clear as it resonated gently from her throat, singing so attractively with her high soprano voice that his heart nearly stopped. He was so dazed that he didn't realize when the song had ended until Melody flew over to him, giggling softly. She had to have known the effect her talent would have on him, otherwise she might have expressed some concern. His eyes focused once again as he was brought out of the trance. He looked away in embarrassment, hiding the light blush present on his cheeks.

'Does she…? No, you idiot. Don't think that way,' James mentally berated himself. 'What would a beautiful girl like her want to do with a murderer like you, hm?'

Melody quickly appeared before James before the flush had completely faded, and she smiled a small, breathtaking grin at the redhead. Chuckling slightly, she poked him on the forehead and whispered softly.

"Kawaii!" (cute)

James hoped that didn't mean something bad, because he'd never know if she were insulting him or not. Before he could react at all, Melody gave the boy a sweet, innocent hug. She felt him tense in response, and released him after a moment or so. Smiling happily with a small blush on her own face, Melody flew away to James's door, turning back only to call out what he assumed to be a goodbye. As the door closed behind her retreating form, James fell back onto his bed with a sigh of both frustration and something he couldn't quite place. Staring up at his blackened ceiling, he pondered the visit silently as the clock by his bed read eight o'clock. But he really couldn't care less about the time while a certain blonde was swimming in his thoughts.

'Hn…'

Was this too short, too? I hope not. I tried to make it longer. ANYWAY, I hope you guys liked this little trip into the wonderful mind of James Matthews! Any suggestions or tips for the story? Please leave a review on your way out! They make me overflow with happiness!!

---Jaime