SORRY FOR THE WAIT, I HAD SCHOOL, THEN WORK, THEN SCHOOL, THEN WORK AGAIN, AND THEN THERE WAS DOWNTON ABBEY, ONCE UPON A TIME, THE REAL HOUSEWIVES…..AND THEN WORK AGAIN. LAST WEEK WAS THE WORST SINCE SOME PEOPLE AT MY DEPARTMENT GOT SICK AND THERE ARE ONLY FIVE OF US WHO WORK FOOD AVENUE, AND WE CAN'T REALLY TRUST OTHERS BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T HAD THE COMPLETE TRAINING…..SO, I DECIDED TO MAKE THIS A LITTLE LONGER, TO MAKE UP FOR LOST TIME.
For the next month, Raven preferred to take her meals in her room and didn't dare to go outside of the hall unless she was tucking Lydia in or going out to battle. And sometimes she didn't even want to go out to battle—which was unusual of her, but Garfield would then remind her that she did love her work and she was only feeling sorry for herself to be locked up in her room. After all, she should take advantage of the opportunities of fighting now, before the baby will forced her to quit for a while.
The other Titans of course thought that Raven's sudden interest in hiding in her room all day had to do with the new baby and that she was just sleeping. In actuality, she was meditating, rather violently that is, and so occasionally she would end up fixing whenever destruction she had caused. And then she would go back to trying to meditate for a long period of time without disruption. One could argue it was the baby, and the other could plainly argue that it was Trigon, but Garfield thought that it was a combination of both. Sometimes he would try to meditate with her, and sometimes he would leave her alone—giving her the space she always wanted in her teen years.
Robin and Starfire were back in each other's good graces again and were becoming nauseating to be around, especially since the whole Tower was invited to Jinx and Kid Flash's wedding, but that just gave them an excuse for them to be all cutesy to each other. It was a chance for Robin to appear as the original leader of the Titans, even though he wasn't in charge of any other Titan region, and that stroked his ego a little too much, which Starfire took advantage of that. Ew.
Cyborg was invited as well, even though he thought that his invitation was probably more of an afterthought, since he had been dating the bride on and off again throughout the years. He even joked that the card that the Titan's got should have ended with, 'and we reserved a seat in the back for Cyborg, if he must come'. However, despite the cracks he made about the whole event, he was just coping with the rejection he felt, and the misery he was going to feel throughout the whole ordeal.
He had lost Jinx.
She was no longer interested in him and had reserved herself for another. No one could pretend that nothing had happened between them, for that would be destroying a whole section of history for the Titans, and the main reason why she ended up with Kid Flash—who was now simply called Flash by this point— in the first place. Flash was the one who had reminded her again and again that Cyborg wasn't treating her right. And that she should be loved like there was nobody else in the world.
Cyborg didn't like romantic speeches; he preferred to say what was really on his mind and not what he should say. He did really like her, but sometimes he didn't always say it or show it as he should have, and that's where he lost her and she fell into the arms of Flash.
Garfield was glad that there was going to be a wedding in the Titan's family again, it had been years since the last wedding between two Titans—the rest manage to either stay single because fighting crime was their 'career' and they were too stubborn for their own good, or they ended up joining the Justice League and found love there. But Garfield was glad that there was a Titans wedding—something to distract them all from their own problems for a while.
However, Raven didn't really want to go, because she wasn't that close to the other Titans, they were just co-workers rather than friends, but Garfield insisted that she should get out of the house. After all, Titans East had attended their wedding, and so it was only natural that they should attend Jinx and Flash's as well.
"I don't see why I have to go; I know I should be there to represent the team, but nobody's going to miss me. It's going to be just as big as Robin and Starfire's, if not bigger." Raven said in their room as she was going through the dresses that Garfield had bought for her and were placed on the bed.
"Well, you can just be there to support Cyborg; he's not exactly going to be ecstatic about this day either." Garfield said, as he was watching her look at the dresses from the comfort of their bed.
Since Raven was in a sorry state, she wasn't in any mood to be shopping for a dress that she may never wear again and therefore would be a waste of a day in her mind. So, Garfield did the shopping. She was given four choices: the long cotton, navy dress with long sleeves, but had a wide slit in the back. Another dress with the similar style and color except with no slit in the back. The dark purple chiffon dress with loose long sleeves. And then the pink, silk dress with short sleeves and a short bodice with ruffles on the bottom.
"Let me guess, (holding up the pink dress) Starfire." She said showing him the gown. He nodded. "Why—?"
"She wanted to see if you would like it; I accepted it because it makes my choices look better." He said, smirking. She threw it on the bed, far away from the other dresses, and took the navy dress that covered every inch of her skin with her. "You know everybody wants to see you, even the press people—what's the word?—paparazzi; you're the only Titan right now carrying a baby. If anything else in the wedding is boring, at least the newspapers can comment on your healthy appearance."
She grinned at this comment as she went into the bathroom to try the dress on, but she knew he was only saying that because part of the reason she didn't want to go was that she was afraid of what other people might say about her. She wasn't one to be curious or care about what others thought, but none of the other Titan teams had ever seen her pregnant; none, and it was because of Robin's presence's in the Tower that forced the other's to just send cards and gifts—the last time, that is—but never an actual visit from any of them. They only ever seen her pregnant through the pictures of what little the paparazzi could take of her. In some ways, this would be both a wedding and a baby's shower, but everybody was just going to treat it as a wedding.
"I'm not coming out." She said through the bathroom door. Garfield scoffed and rolled his eyes.
"Rae, don't be so dramatic. You're not like this." He said.
"It doesn't look good; I look pregnant."
"You are pregnant." He corrected her, sitting up and chuckling at her comment.
"I know, but others will notice and then Robin will think I would make it all about me—"
"—Robin wouldn't do that." He said, walking over to the bathroom door and waiting for his chance to barge in. As soon as she was about to say something else, he opened the door, which was, to the surprise of him, unlocked.
She jumped a little from the surprised, but knew he would do something like that. The navy dress did cover her whole body, clinging to her skin, but that also that meant her bump was very noticeable, draping to the side just a little, but showing nonetheless. While she was six months pregnant, and so was not really that big, she was still to the point where her bump was clearly a baby and not just fat.
"It looks beautiful." He simply said, admiring her belly before he looked up into her eyes. "You look beautiful." She tried to hide her blushing by looking back into the mirror, away from his eyes. "What? You know how I am."
"And you know how I am." She said, trying to get comfortable in a dress. She walked around for a little bit, looking to see if the dress would by any chance drag on the floor. "Do I have to wear a dress?"
"You're used to dresses by now."
"Yeah, only because sometimes they are comfortable."
"But then you would be conscious about the fact that people would look at you more if you wore anything else, because you already stand out in a crowd." He said. "Did you get my tux pressed?" Just now remembering his outfit ordeal.
"Yes—now how did we end up taking over each other's outfit?" She asked, just now realizing that they were dressing up each other up, rather than handling it themselves.
"Well, technically, I picked out the tux myself. You just went in the store and ordered it. And then cleaned it. And then pressed it." He said, realizing her statement was true.
She looked back in the mirror, trying to see if she could move her hands in a way to somehow hide her bump, but she only looked like a mad woman holding her arms out in a weird way. And in a formal dress nonetheless.
She finally sighed, unsatisfied. "It'll do. I don't know why I fret over this; I'm never going to wear this dress again. I wish I didn't have to go to this wedding."
His ears perked up and raised his eyebrow. "That reminds me." He said, leaving the room, as he made his way to his private drawer and pulled out a small black, velvet, and retractable box. He ran back into the bathroom and presented it to her "Here, open it." Smiling as he said so.
"Garfield, it's not our wedding. You don't have to go and buy me things just so I can keep a dress on for three hours. You don't have to bribe me." She said, almost refusing the box and pushing it away from his hand as he tried to hand it to her.
"What? No. (Chuckling)You misunderstand….you see when you first told me you were pregnant, whether you were going to keep it or not, I decided to save up to get you a proper ring. And not one that cost as much as chewing gum."
She held onto her left hand in a protective mode, almost as if he were to steal her original sapphire ring. It was a fake, but it was still her ring.
"Don't be like that. I'm not going to get rid of that one; I know better." He said, as if he was reading her thoughts. "This one is just like that dress, it's only for formal occasions, so we can keep up appearance with the people. I know gossip magazines love to mock your ring—they always do. This will shut them up. And hopefully, you'll like it." He ended.
She reluctantly took the box, letting out a small grin. "I wish you wouldn't spoil me so." She opened the box and was somewhat taken aback. She sat down on the edge of the bathtub, looking attentively at the small box. "Garfield…..this is too much." She said softly, looking up into his eyes.
He chuckled from the mere sight of her expression. "Rae, I've been saving up….we're not broke."
"No, it's not about how much money—well, part of it is—but I thought you would give me just a band, not an actual diamond." She said, looking back down, and lifting it up to see it in the light. It was proper sapphire ring, less than a fifth of a karat, in a simple oval cut, wrapped around in a simple, thin sliver band. She blushed as she touched the small stone.
"Oh, Rae, don't act so modest….it's enough for me to afford." He said, kneeling down to her knees and taking the ring from her. He put the box down, and took her left hand in his hand, taking her first ring off her finger and placing it in the box before he took her left hand again, as if he wanted to do this moment all over again with a proper ring. She couldn't help, but blush as red as a rose, looking at him with a sparkle in her eyes. "Raven of Azarath…..will you do me the great honor and marry me?" He said as he slipped the ring on her finger.
"Yes, but we're already married." She said coyly.
"But you know how I just love to ask." He joked. She looked down at the stone, but moved her head closer to him. He moved his head up to hers, so he could find her lips, and gently kissed them, without her protesting. "Hey, you're not the only one who gets jewelry, I wasn't completely selfless; I also bought myself a new wedding band too, a nice sliver edge, so we could match."
The wedding day came, just before Raven's seventh month, with the whole Tower invited to sit in the second row—being somewhat important people—but not as important as the bride and grooms closer friends. All of Steel City—the respected East Titans city—was invited. Even the reformed criminals in the Hive Academy, those who had changed their position as heroes, were invited. It was held in a giant white tent, as if it was circus, located in the Steel City Park, expecting three hundred official guest, and the rest of the city could watch from the giant screen monitor outside in the downtown district.
The theme must have been 'Pink: on anything and everything', as every single little detail such as the chairs, the balloons, the lamp shades, even down to the food, was doused in pink. Raven thought she had stepped into her own mind in Happy's section. Okay, so maybe it was bit little much, but there were little touches of yellow here and there, to allow Flash's colors to add to the atmosphere.
"So, it seems just as grand as Robin and Star's." Garfield said to Raven, as he was making his way through the tent, looking around him. He was dressed in a dark purple tux and pants, with a lavender flower in his pocket. Wasn't as fancy as his wedding tux, but it was close enough for a formal occasion.
"Well, I don't want to be here when Robin and Flash start comparing." Raven said, as she looked around the garden outside, which was to her more interesting than the artificial decorations inside. "Robin had seemed to spend a fortune on his own."
"Where do you think Robin got the money anyway? To pull off that big wedding?" He asked her, grabbing her hand as he thought that the crowds were becoming too much, and he didn't want to lose her while she gazed at the flowers outside.
"Hmm? Well, Starfire says he has connections—whatever that means—and that he only ever used his so-called connections just for his wedding." She said, looking back at him.
"The guy has connections, and yet he says we can't get the high quality tofu because it's too expensive? Talk about egos." He said.
"There's high quality tofu?" She asked him, raising an eyebrow. He scoffed.
"Come on." He said, as he nudged her over to the cocktail table.
Lydia was running around with other kids her age, mostly playing outside in the garden, where there was a playhouse for the kids. She was wearing a yellow, velvet formal dress, that had puffed sleeves, and white ribbon tied around her waist. She also had a white ribbon in her hair, the only time Raven would have allowed ribbons. There were human kids, who mostly were Politian's children, who didn't know who she was or why she had incredibly pale skin and a strange red gem on her forehead.
There was of course, teasing in order, but after she had demonstrated her small powers—without her parents' permission—the children were either in awed of her or feared her and decided to play with the other children. Those that feared her decided to play somewhere else, and while she did feel some sort of rejection, she had to remember not to act out on her emotion and just tried to hide it from the others by calling them 'stupid heads'.
The other children who decided to stay with her, some of whom knew who she was and were the children of other Titans, were in agreement with her and she was satisfied enough. And then they all took control over the swings set, which made the other children mad, but before they did not dare to get caught in a fight with the children of the Titan's. Now, that was just suicidal.
Robin and Starfire were outside in the garden, socializing with the other couples who were also new at parenting. Robin was in a simply black tux—still fashioning his mask on—while Starfire was wearing the pink, silk dress with short sleeves that Raven had turned down. They were discussing the issues that new parents discussed with each other when they're baby is about to become a toddler. Bruce and the other walking babies were picking apart the grass while trying to communicate to each other with their babble. Bruce was had on a small black tux, that just complimented his black hair and his narrow eyes, but he kept on pulling on the buttons, making them break apart and Starfire kept buttoning him up again.
The parents were somewhat a pretentious group of people, as the various parents would try to prove that they were the better parent by exchanging notes on certain techniques they would used. How dare someone would try formula over breast milk, even if the mother couldn't properly produce milk every day. Or how a father would just be the disgrace of the parenting club if he had to work late—or worse—if he was the stay-at-home father, for a baby needed their mother, and the mother would be considered a abusive person for abandoning her child.
Robin and Starfire were glad Garfield was not around when the others discussed this. Even they were questioning about their motives about socializing with them. However, each parent was able to recommend this doctor or that nanny or this daycare. So they weren't that pretentious.
Cyborg had managed to make his way to the open bar—which wasn't open and he mistake it for one—and was somewhat drowning in his sorrows. Slouching on a cushion stool, he looked down at his frosty beer, before he took another sip of the sweet, sweet cold liquid. He didn't wear anything for the special occasion, just a small bowtie, but unraveled after a few hours. His beer seemed to be his only friend in the world, before he saw Garfield taking a seat next to him.
"So….how are you holding up?" Garfield asked, as he tried to take the beer away from Cyborg.
"I've lost her, man." Cyborg said somberly as he took the beer back from Garfield's side of the table.
"Cy, it's her wedding day. You knew she and Flash had a past." He said, trying to comfort his friend.
"Yeah, but why would she want to marry a guy who's fast at everything? And I do mean everything." Cyborg said, widening his eyes to Garfield, making sure he got the joke. Garfield smiled uncomfortably as Cy took another sip of his beverage.
Garfield watched his friend for a few minutes. He could see the same pain on Cyborg's face that Garfield once felt when Raven was first rejecting his advances. He knew that pain all too well, and it had resurfaced up lately because of the dreams she had been having.
"You really cared for her, didn't you?" Garfield finally said. Cyborg was quiet for a few moments, before he took another sip.
"I love her, man." He confessed, looking down at the counter. "Still do."
"I see." Garfield said. The bartender came around to offer his services to Garfield, but he refused anything.
"Hey pal, are you gonna pay now, or should I keep a tab for the night?" The bartender asked Cyborg. He was surprised by the news that it wasn't an open bar as he didn't bring any money with him. Garfield saw his blank expression and decided to save him.
"Keep a tab on him; Robin of the Jump City Titan's will pay his bill." Garfield told the bartender, and once the bartender heard the name 'Robin', he didn't ask any more questions, but then instead offered Cyborg another beer. "He's okay right now."
"Okay, but call me when you want another." The bartender said, before he left to attend to new customers.
"Cy, why did you come to the wedding in the first place?" Garfield asked.
"I just thought that maybe…..well, it doesn't matter now anyway. Never mind."
"You thought that….that maybe she might change her mind." Garfield answered for him. Cyborg slowly nodded before he took another sip. "Does she know you love her?"
"I thought she did, but I never actually told her. My…..pride got in the way, and I just assume for a time that she just knew after everything we've been through." Cyborg said. "But then we got into a fight….and now several months later, I'm at her wedding to Flash. I wanted to see her and tell her…but it ended in disaster."
"You mean you saw her today? And you told her? But it's her wedding day—"
"—You know I remember once upon a time when a certain green boy was desperate for the attention of a some lonely girl who didn't like him for a long time. And that certain green boy did some stupid things too, all in the name of love." Cyborg said looking at his friend, trying to set aside Garfield's judgment about his actions. "Yeah, it's her wedding day, and I should think now is the only time I have to tell her instead of embarrassing myself by saying something when the guy asks, 'if there is any reason why these two people should not be wed, speak now, or forever hold your piece' gig. So, I wanted my piece to be known before hand." He took another sip. "She didn't see it that way." He said as he put the beer off to the side.
He turned his head around to see Flash—who was sporting a yellow tuxedo with black pants, with his mask still on (Dude, you're not Robin, don't act like you are)—casually talking to a crowd about something that Cyborg couldn't hear. Cyborg clenched his fist.
"So, I take it didn't go well." Garfield said, trying to draw his friend's eyes away from Flash as he was afraid at any moment a fight would break out.
"No." Cyborg said, turning his body around to get back to his beer, and then he looked up into Garfield's solemn eyes. "No, it didn't. In fact, that is the reason why there is this long delay. And he has to come out here and try to entertain his guest. She's in there right now; God knows what she thinks of me now."
"Why, what did you do?"
"I….just told her how I felt, and then there was this fight that broke out, things got broken, her dress ripped a bit, and then she told me to get out. But I said I wouldn't leave until she told it to me straight—did she have any feelings for me anymore. She made it clear she didn't. Now I'm here. Drowning my sorrows." He said as he took another sip. The glass was almost empty. "I don't even drink beer."
"Well, are you going to stay? I don't think you should stay." Garfield said, trying to strike two birds with one stone, as he was starting to feel uncomfortable at this wedding, and with Raven not wanting to be there either, it would just seem like the best excuse if all three of them went home now.
However, they must keep up appearances with the other Titans in the room and among those in Jump City who were only watching the wedding because their own Titans were attending. It would not be right if three of the starting Titans just walked out, as if they were making a statement about the wedding, or doing some kind of political move.
"Nay, man." He said, with his words starting to slur a bit. "I want to have that second row seat, so I can look her in the eyes when she says, 'I do'. Then I would know if she means it or not by how she reacts to my glare."
"Dude, that's not healthy. At all. Please, Cyborg, let's not try to—"
"—You know, I always admire you guys. You and Raven. I sometimes wish I had a relationship like you guys, you both have it so easy, I sometimes just wish…." Cyborg trailed off as he finished off his drink.
Garfield's blood then started to boiled. "No, you don't. Trust me." He said, in an irritated tone. Cyborg leaned back in his stool a bit, trying to give his friend some space.
"Hey, you don't have to get an attitude about it." Cyborg said in defense.
"Well, it's just not all peachy as it sometimes appears." Garfield said, as he tried to wave down the bartender. "I mean there is some struggles in our relationship."
"Yes, what would you like?" The bartender said as he made his way to the two.
"I would like the lightest vegan beer you have, please." He then turned back to Cyborg. "So, like I was saying, even the most perfect relationship you can find will have its own struggles here and there."
"Dude, tell me, what's going on? Is the baby getting to Rae? Is she getting nervous or moody?" Cyborg asked, as he was now the one doing the comforting. The bartender came back with the only beer that was marked with a vegan sticker. Garfield looked down in the cup, staring at the foamy beverage. Cyborg then noticed the bags under his friend's eyes. "B?"
"No, it has nothing to do with the baby—well, somewhat—sort of, kind of…..but it's not just that." He lifted the cup up and took a long sip before setting it down, wiping the foam off his face with his sleeves. "She has been dreaming about Trigon."
Cyborg widened his eyes. He didn't even know what exactly she was dreaming about, but just her father's name alone sent a shiver down his spine. "Whoa, dude. I don't know what to say. Is everything alright? What is she dreaming for?"
Garfield sighed heavily, as he was relieved to tell someone else. "I'm gonna say I wish I could tell you exactly—she's repressing a memory of him about something—but I can't really tell you." Cyborg leaned forward a bit.
"Is that why Rae has been taking some time off? I just thought it was the baby." He whispered.
"Yes, but the baby did have something to do with it. You know, hormones." Garfield said, taking another long sip of the terrible, terrible tasting beer. However, it was the only beer that was vegan.
"Man, you are really out of it. Is this healthy for you? Shouldn't you talk about it?" Cyborg asked, trying to slide the beer away from Garfield.
"I am talking about it. I'm just not revealing what was the subject of the dream. Rae doesn't want to be here, and after ten minutes arriving, I realized I don't want to be here either. But I know Robin, and he wouldn't let us escape this as there are a lot of Jump City citizens watching, wanting to see their Titans." He said. He looked down at his watch, seeing that the ceremony was already twenty minutes late. "Oh lord, how long are they gonna take?"
"Hey, there might not be a wedding. Maybe I really did get to Jinx and she's up there, thinking about everything." Cyborg said as he grinned. Garfield didn't want to give him a reality check, but he couldn't let him be hopeful either.
"Cy…." He started, but just then he saw Raven walking up to them, with Lydia by her side. Phew, saved by the bell.
"They're going to start soon." She said, who stood next to Cyborg as she glazed down at the beer cups on the table.
She then noticed Garfield grabbing one of them, making her glad that both the glasses just weren't for Cyborg, but disheartened that one was for her husband. He wasn't the drinking type, and even though they were at a wedding, she didn't think him drinking was because of this particular occasion. She gave Garfield a solemn look.
"Don't give him that look, Rae." Cyborg said, noticing the two staring. "He's just trying to cheer me up."
"I didn't say anything." She said in her monotone, looking back to Cyborg. Lydia was very confused about what was going on. "But how are you doing?"
"I guess not so well since the wedding is still on." He said, sighing heavily.
"I heard what you did. Although it wasn't the smartest idea in the world, probably the stupidest, but I guess it was brave. It sounds like something Garfield would do." She said, before she used her powers to gently lift Cyborg's glass and put in the back of the bartenders sink. "Not until after the ceremony. We don't want any more reasons to cut all your ties with the other Titans."
"Well, I guess I'm drunk enough to hear your reasoning, but not drunk enough to fight back. Thanks Rae. Thanks B. I promised I'll be a good boy. See you guys up there." He said, as he stood up and left the Logan family alone.
"Mama, what was that about?" Lydia asked, pulling on her dress.
"Uncle Cyborg just broke up with his girlfriend. And he's not handling it well." She said. "Why don't you go and follow him, and keep him company."
"But I want to go on the swings!"
"Not after I saw you pulled that stunt with that poor boy! I'm going to be getting phone calls from his parents for the next few weeks. For the love of Azarath, Lydia, I told you 'no powers', and now you're in trouble. For the time being, go to your Uncle. We'll be there soon." She said, a little wary of Lydia—and the baby—both pushing on her as she just wanted a moment of peace with Garfield. Lydia, reluctantly, ran after for Cyborg. Raven sat down, as she winced from the baby kicking and putting a hand on her stomach. He watched her with a smile. "Oh, yeah, laugh now. It won't be so funny when you're in that delivery room."
"I wasn't laughing; I was just enjoying the view." He said, sliding his glass away from him, but she noticed it.
"Why are you drinking? You had a heart attack; you can't drink for a long time."
"Well, technically, I heard that sometimes alcohol can be good for the heart. In moderation, that is."
"Yes, but I know you, you aren't drinking because of the occasion, it's an escape, something to control your stress."
"Rae, it's just one beer. I'm not going to have another one. Cyborg and I were just talking, and it kind of brought up memories I would rather…..soon….forget." He said, looking down. She placed her hand on top of his. After a few moments, she guided his hand to her stomach, as he gently lifted his head up to her. "I guess this eases the pain just as well."
Everyone in the room was trying to take their seats, but the two of them knew it was going to be a while before it started. The bartender walked up to them.
"Can I get you another one, sir?" He asked.
"No." Garfield said, smiling to Raven. She blushed.
"And you, miss? Beer, wine, champagne?"
Raven twitched her eyebrows. "I'm pregnant." Putting her hand on her stomach.
"Oh, I just assumed—never mind." He said, before awkwardly walking away and returning with a cup of water. "Here you go, free of charge." He then left them.
"How much you bet that water is free anyway?" Garfield said. She once again smiled. "What did you mean when you were talking to Cyborg, about him being like me? I just thought it was dumb what he did."
"Well, she was the one who sent the email last night. She kind of brought it on herself."
"Wait, what? Cyborg just said he was the one who walked in on her and tried to tell her he loved, but it ended in a fight." He said, quite a taken back by the new information.
"No, what happened was she wrote an email to him last night, confessing that she hoped they could have meeting before the wedding to clear the air and move on. She was the one who pushed him into asking if he had any feelings for her, and he well, confessed that he in fact was still in love with her. A fight broke out, in a room full of mirrors I might add, in which he saved her from a shard glass that was heading for her face. She was done by that point and told him to get out."
"Why did he tell me a different story?"
"I don't know, probably he thought he was more in the wrong then her. Probably to make him sound tougher then he actually was. Most likely to take the pressure off of her, since it is her wedding."
"God, I never knew Jinx could be such a bitch."
"She's not thinking right now. She's just as confused and lost as I once was when we first went out. Although, her timing, I admit, was terrible." She said, slowly standing up, as the ceremony was going to start soon.
"But I still think she is a bitch for putting Cyborg in that position."
"Now, now, let's not cut ties with our Titan friends. I do remember a distinct time when you were calling me a cold-hearted bitch. And I called you…..other things." She grabbed his shoulder for support as he stood up.
"Come on, this is gonna be one hell of a wedding. And you can still call me those nasty things if you want?" He mischievously raised his eyebrow.
"Hey, let's not start, I'm already pregnant." She said.
They made their way across the crowded tent to behind the curtain where the ceremony was held. The scenery took Garfield's breath away as he didn't realized how extravagant the event was going to be. There were a total of three hundred chairs, each being a simple white wooden chair, with a yellow wide ribbon wrapped around each one. Each row had a bouquet of pink roses on the side, and the aisle covered in a variety of different color rose pedals. There was a white canopy at the end of pathway, and while Rae joked that it looked like a Pepto Bismol bomb went off, it was elegantly decorated with pink ribbons tied against the white backdrop, with dark pink vases, small pink statues, a mostly pink Persian rug, and a basket on each side, full of rose pedals. It was in the south end of the park, and therefore didn't have the city as the background of the ceremony, instead it was held around the quiet suburban area.
"It just looks like the wedding I always wanted to give you." Garfield said as they made their way through the grass that was invested with roses.
"You forget, I told you I didn't want a big wedding, and you went out of your way to make sure that's what we got—a small, intimate wedding with just our friends. A lot more Titans wanted to come, but you know I don't like a lot of attention. Or parties in general." She said, smiling at him.
"I gotta say, you can't escape the attention now." He said, eyeing at the various people that were glazing at her as they both were walking, some of them being caught in the act and pretending they were staring at something else. Her cheeks colored. "I guess, perhaps, I do remember that conversation about a small wedding. But still."
"Still—I know." She said, rolling her eyes. At that moment, Cyborg walk up to them, being remotely concerned about something.
"Rae, B, can you guys got to do me a favor? Please." Cyborg whispered, with a tone of urgency in his voice.
"What is it?" She asked.
"Well—" He started, but looked around to make sure nobody was listening. But of course, people were looking at them, as she was the pregnant Titan. So, Cyborg nodded them over to a large bush on the other of the garden. They all three walked over to the bush and were concealed from the others behind it's leaves. "Okay—um, how should I say this—Rae….is there any chance you can…..oh, man…..is there any chance you could possibly fake something wrong with you—let me finish, now—because you're pregnant and all—during the part where the guy says 'speak now…' bit?"
"What? Cyborg!" Garfield shouted, insulted by his friend's request. He already was feeling protective over Rae due to her recent dreams, but Cyborg just asked permission to use the Logan's unborn child to tangled into Cyborg's love life.
"Shh!" Cyborg shushed, looking behind him to see if anybody was paying attention.
"Cyborg, that's not fair to put her in your situation just because you screwed up with your love life—"
"B, I am not asking much—"
"—you're asking a lot!—"
"—she's pregnant!—"
"—Exactly, she's pregnant! Not you!—"
"—Let me finish—Nobody could argue with her if she makes a scene while I say something—"
"—And that's another thing, why do you need her to make a scene, you can do it your own, the part where you say something—"
"—I'm not actually going to say anything—"
"—then what's the point—"
"—I just want Jinx to look at me during that point, to make her remember what she is doing—"
"—What?—"
"—Hey, it takes two sometimes, to ruin a relationship—"
"—Bullshit! You just want revenge—"
"—Garfield, let him speak." Raven said sternly, putting her hand up to Garfield before he could interrupt Cyborg once again. All three of them decided to cool down a bit before they could speak up. "Okay, now Cyborg, continue."
"Okay….what happened back there, before when I was with her..."
"I agree, she's a bitch." Garfield said, before he was silenced by Raven.
"Well, that's a different argument. Anyway, we said a lot of things back there, things I couldn't possibly say in front of group of people. And things I couldn't say as a Titan, in general. Because Robin would kill me if I, not only ruin my relationship with Jinx, but take down the whole team by ruining all of our relations with the other Titans." He said. "We are the original Titans. People look up to us. I know I am—along with you guys—are a part of an image. And we've lost some of our rights to act—should we say—stupid in public."
Garfield was still glaring at him, but nonetheless could see his reasoning behind his insanity. Just a little. "So, how does Rae play a part of this?"
"The guy will say, 'if anybody has anything to say…', and instead of me saying anything, Rae would make some kind of noise, and that will make everyone look at us. I—or maybe you could say it's the baby—and excuse yourselves for a moment, apologizing too. But everyone will understand, everyone will look at you—and I will be looking at Jinx, and she will see me and won't help, but look too."
"And what does this exactly accomplish?" Raven asked in her cool monotone.
"I don't know….maybe I just want to make my last statement before she walks away with him." Cyborg said, trying his best to explain his reasoning for the whole act in question. He looked back at Garfield.
Garfield sighed heavily. "I don't know if you should say anything. I mean, you told me you didn't want to do that anyway, so why…."
"I don't know…it's just….it's just…I can't explain it…I just want the last word in."
"Can't explain or won't?" Raven asked. Garfield was interested in that answer too, but Cyborg's face said it all when he took a while to answer the question. "I see." Raven said.
"Will you do it, though? I mean, Rae, how many times have I helped you out, acted like a big brother when at a time Robin couldn't?" Cyborg asked. Garfield couldn't take it any longer, he stepped in front of Rae, folding his arms, scowling at Cyborg.
"Don't guilt her into the decision. She has enough problems. We have enough problems." Garfield said, looking into Cyborg's to send a message about the conversation they had about twenty minutes ago, with the whole 'she has been dreaming about her satanic father' topic.
Cyborg stepped away from them a few feet, remembering now how Garfield gets about Raven when she's pregnant. He would not be afraid of hitting his friend if he thought he could protect his wife from an insult. Really, he did punch Robin in the jaw one time; nobody could ever forget that.
"You know what, you guys decide. I mean you will start the act anyway, so if yes, then do as I discuss, and if not, well then, I guess don't do it…" Cyborg said, trailing off. He walked away.
The two were seated at the beginning of the row, next to Starfire and Robin, so they couldn't discuss anything with Cyborg without being overheard. The decision was, at that point, up to them. Lydia was sitting on Garfield's lap, trying to get herself out of trouble since she was caught using magic without their permission.
"I want to sit's next to the kids I met today." Lydia said.
"And where are you guys going to seat?" Garfield asked her sternly, trying not to sound as mad as Rae wanted him to be.
"In the back." She said in an innocent voice.
"No, no, no, no, no, no. No." He repeated.
"But Daddy?"
"Lydia, you have already broken the rules today….I don't know if I can let you go without an adult supervision."
"—But there will be adults there! They will be in the back's as well!—"
"—Lydia….."
"Just let her go." Raven said, chiming into the conversation. "She will be bored out of her mind anyway if she stays, and frankly, she should get all her energy out now, so she'll be tired by tonight."
"Are you sure?" Garfield asked, but Lydia was already standing up and preparing to leave.
"Lydia stay. I need to make a few things clear." Raven said, making Lydia freeze in her place, looking back toward her mother. Raven kneeled down to her height and looked closely into her eyes. "Number one: No magic whatsoever. And don't ask me a life or death question because there are about a hundred super heroes to respond to an emergency if it happens. Number two: Stay with the group, no exploring on your own. Number three, the most important: As soon as the bullying gets to you and you feel sad or you get an injury, say your chant. It will help you relax before we to get you. Got it?"
Lydia nodded obediently. She was then sent off to play with the others, avoiding a forty-five minute ceremony. Garfield sat back in his chair.
"Rae, don't do it. Don't do what Cyborg asked you to do. We could get in a lot of trouble if people found out the truth." Garfield whispered to her, as he was so closed to her ear, and whispered so softly that they couldn't possibly be overheard.
"Truth? I have been having strong kicks today. People have witness it. So, it wouldn't be an exaggeration."
"Don't say you're doing it."
"I don't know. He has been rather supportive of us during our time of need—"
"Yeah, but….." He said, before they heard the music to indicate the ceremony would begin. Everyone watched as the various members of the wedding party slowly made their way down the aisle. The guys were dressed in black tux—thank Azarath it wasn't yellow or pink—and the girls were dressed, of course, in pink summer dresses.
"Garfield, he doesn't think she's a bitch. He's still in love and he's hurt. He's also a public figure." She whispered back. "We have used the pregnancy as an excuse for many things as well—"
"Yeah, but, that's different." He whispered, emphasizing the different part with his hands, gripping tightly on hers. "Your psychological health, Rae."
"Yes, and I know I can't do many things with my life because of my powers. But I can do some things with them, and one of them is feeling negative energy and I can feel his. He's in pain. Pain that I can help with, in one way at least." She whispered.
Flash then made his way down the aisle. The Logan's were no longer interested in the performance of the wedding, they only really cared about the vows, as it would remind them of their own, but everything was too extravagant to their taste, and the crowd was getting to Garfield as well.
And then the moment the whole crowd was waiting for, and one that caused Raven to stand up rather awkwardly as the baby started kicking again. Jinx walked slowly down the aisle, by herself, with the music blaring loud. She was wearing a long, flowing white gown, with a slight V-neck, decorated with a pink modesty lace and completed with long sleeves to hide her arms. She was holding a single rose as a bouquet. Raven rolled her eyes as she thought that holding a single flower such a clique thing to do. Wow, a rose, how original. Jinx's hair was in a bun, decorated with four-leaf clovers—probably fake. Yes, because being named Jinx wasn't exactly fit for a wedding, so she needed the extra luck. She also had a long flowing veil, reaching to the floor as she made her way down.
"Look at them, happy." Garfield said, admiring the blushing bride.
"Yes." Raven said, agreeing. "Which makes me question why would she ask to see Cyborg if she was trying to break the ties?"
"I don't know. Maybe she didn't want there to be any awkwardness."
"Probably wasn't the best decision in the world."
"Nope, it wasn't." He said, agreeing. "But it's her day."
"Why are you so against this? I might not even do it. But Cyborg's words are just making me think."
"I would be behind him one hundred percent and everything, if he did say something. But…"
"But because I will be involved, you're worried." She said, trying to understand his logic. He huffed, as Jinx made her way to their row and then went beyond the second row to the canopy. Raven was the last person to sit down, as the baby kicked once again.
"Dearly Beloved…." The priest began.
"Are they religious? I thought they were going to get one of their friend's to do the ceremony? I'm confused." Raven asked.
"I don't know, it could be just to put on a show for everyone in the city. Maybe they really are religious." He whispered. "You have your own religion. Why ask?"
"I was just curious. They just don't seem like the type."
"Well I hate to break it to you, but just because they aren't chanting under their when battling criminals and meditate twenty-four hours a day, doesn't mean that they aren't religious." He joked with her
"Shut up." Was all she could say back. Some people behind them 'shushed' them because of their talking. They were quiet for a moment, allowing the others that 'shushed' to get back into the wedding. But then Raven whispered, "I was just certain they were going to have one Speedy perform the ceremony."
"Well, apparently we don't know a lot about them, as they only ever talk about work and the Internet whenever we see them." He whispered. She winced from the pain of the violent kicks the baby made. "Are you alright? Rae, tell me you're not playing."
"No, this isn't an act. I'm fine…..just…just watch the wedding. You love weddings; you watch them all the time on TV, well, here is a real one." She whispered.
"…..and who is giving this woman away?" The priest asked.
"My team." Jinx announced. "As I started from nothing, but found a family in my friends." It was more of a political move, so she didn't appear bias to one friend over another.
"And as it is said, matrimony…" The priest continued.
Raven and Garfield sat there quietly, just enjoying what little love that could rub off the two Titans in front of them. Whether it was Cyborg's problems, Jinx's debatable past with others, Flash as the innocent by stander in all this drama, one thing was clear at least, Jinx and Flash were deeply in love. And love, even when it's full of drama, sometimes was just worth it in the end. They weren't faking the stares they gave each other to the cameras—Jinx was not the greatest actress in the world and Flash couldn't lie to save his life—it was genuine.
Garfield held Rae's hand while the bride and groom started to read each other's vows. Cyborg was right, they were public figures, even the vows they gave didn't sound like themselves, it sounded like something that the City typed up ahead of time to inspire all who were watching the wedding. At least Garfield's, 'I really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really love you' sounded like Garfield, and not some official that wrote it up. While it was romantic for a while, the obvious rehearsed statements such as, 'as we are officials, who protect civilians,' were a bit annoying to hear.
Their vows were long, as they tried to squeeze in some personal story, but Garfield was becoming anxious. He rested his head on Rae's shoulder, as she rubbed his hand, understanding that the sun and the long speeches were getting to him. And she was okay with him wanting a shoulder to rest on. They both wished that they had followed Lydia to play with her friends.
At least the scenery was romantic when the ceremony was getting boring. Garfield just had other things on his mind, which is why he expected more flowery language, to escape in the words while he got lost in her eyes. But all he could do was grabbed at her hands, and stared at her bump being moved occasionally here and there. He grabbed one of the roses, from the vase on the side of Raven's chair, as she was sitting at the end. He stuck it in her hair as she blushed. They weren't usually the affectionate type out in public, that was more Robin and Starfire, but they couldn't help it when it came to weddings.
And there it was, once again, a strong kick. Garfield saw it, and was touched by the small vibrations he could feel. And then the priest said, "And as these two shall remain together, for all of their lives and ours…."
"I don't think he is going to say it. The whole, 'speak now' business." Garfield whispered into her ear. "I'm pretty sure it's past the point where he should say it."
"Are you sure? But, wait, I thought you didn't want me to…."
"Well, what can I say, I look into your eyes….and everything just makes sense. If you told me the sky was orange, I would believe you. But I've studied a lot on weddings to know he is quite past that part about the whole 'speak now' business."
"…This day marks a new era for the both of you. As you have placed the rings in your hand and done the vows….." The priest carried on.
"I don't want to ruin the moment." She whispered softly, as she seemed to have only one shot to get this right.
"Moment? Look at all this they have (eyeing the area), and they have their love, I might add. They're fortunate enough already."
"Still, it isn't fair." She whispered, Garfield looked into her eyes and nodded, looking somber about the whole situation. Sometimes life wasn't fair.
"…..I now pronounce you man and wife, you may kiss the bride." The priest ended with.
Flash uncovered Jinx's long veil and gently kissed her. The crowd applauded as the ceremony was finally coming to a close.
"It is my privilege to present to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. West." The crowd stood up and applauded as Cyborg was trying to take in the fact that he didn't plan on the priest skipping that crucial part of the plan. Now his ex-girlfriend was the wife of someone else.
However, as soon as Jinx and Flash stepped down the stairs, Raven could feel that intense pain in her body, as if the baby seemed to be applauding along with everyone else. She stood up, but kneeled over, trying to conceal her stomach with her hands. Garfield went to her aid, and even though the others couldn't see what was going on, Jinx and Flash noticed her because she was at the end of the row.
"Raven, are you alright?" Jinx asked the Logan's, as she didn't want to leave her friends when they were hurt, even as the applause continued to drain out her sorrow for her teammates.
It was an unexpected turn of events that ended in their favor. Raven, at the very end, decided against saying anything, but now her baby forced the decision on her to cause a scene. Garfield didn't know what to say, because he didn't know if it was real or not, and so was somewhat speechless.
"Raven, are you okay?" Robin intervened, as it was his actual teammate, and not just a random Titan who was part of the organization.
"I'm fine, really I am, but he or she or whoever, is kicking is really—oh…." She groaned, just trying to get through the pain. Garfield held her hand and let her squeezed it tight as she wanted too, as Flash and the others were making sure she sat down again and was comfortable.
Jinx briefly looked up the others, and then saw Cyborg looking back at her. Their silent yet awkward glaze only lasted until Raven's pain subsided, which was only a few more seconds. Cyborg stared at her with a solemn expression, not smiling or being angry at her, just serious. Jinx didn't know what to do other than to hide her bouquet behind her back. She tried to smile, but Cyborg only stared at her, almost in disgust.
Jinx blushed and looked away and went back to the group as a helper, before they were told everything was okay. Raven swore at one point it was a contraction, as did Garfield since the kick was so strong. After Raven got a water bottle, the couple then continued their way down the aisle, which made the crowd cheered again. Garfield knew Raven wasn't faking it, from the way she was holding on his hand.
"Well, this would certainly make the highlight of the night." Garfield said, glad that she wasn't having a contraction.
"I just hope nothing broke."
"No, I'm pretty sure the only thing you broke was my hand." He said, showing the bruises it had from her grip. She smiled before Cyborg, Robin and Starfire came back to her side as Starfire went to grab Bruce from the grass. Cyborg gave both the Logan's a nod.
OKAY, SINCE DOWNTON ABBEY IS OVER, AND WE SHOULD BE GETTING MORE HELP FROM WORK, I WILL HAVE MORE TIME. AGAIN, SORRY ABOUT THE WAIT, BUT I HAVE LOADS ON MY PLATE AND SOMETIMES I DON'T FEEL IN THE WRITING MOOD AFTER SIX OR SO HOURS OF WORK.