Chapter 11: Fourteen Plus One

A/N: The Green Arrow is mentioned in this chapter. I don't own him.

Torque blinked her eyes open against the blinding Saturday sun. It had been nearly a week since the last battle with Cardiac, but Torque was still feeling some of the bruises. She rubbed absentmindedly at her shoulder and she felt something stir beside her. Another warm body sat up behind her and began to rub the muscles of her shoulder for her.

"Let me do that for you," said a voice accompanied by several small kisses that landed in various places from her neck down over her shoulder.

"Mmmm, you flirt…" Torque murmured. The man behind her smiled and wound an arm around her middle, pulling her backwards into his embrace.

"We've been at this for a while now…I think we've progressed past 'flirt'," Speedy replied, nuzzling Torque's neck and relishing her smile. Nearby, a whimper issued from the bundle nestled in the crib. Aidan was awake. Torque kissed Speedy softly.

"The baby's awake," he murmured.

"I know," she replied, using her powers to gently lift and bring the baby to her. Aidan fussed a bit as his mother kissed him good morning. Torque and Speedy smiled. Torque relaxed back against Speedy's bare chest and fed Aidan his breakfast. Speedy couldn't help feeling a certain measure of giddy happiness as he listened to the baby make soft sucking noises and little baby whimpers as he ate. He couldn't believe how quickly he had become attached to the little one. He had never felt such an attachment in his life. When Torque finished feeding Aidan, she asked Speedy if he would mind watching the baby so she could take a shower. Speedy agreed to this, and Torque slipped into her robe and then left the room.

Speedy looked at Aidan, lying on the bed in front of him. Aidan rolled over and lifted himself onto all fours. He looked at Speedy and the superhero smiled. Aidan smiled back and began to try to crawl across the bed to him. Aidan found this difficult and Speedy laughed. He reached forward and picked Aidan up, putting the little boy in his lap.

"Let's have a quick man to man talk," Speedy said. "I've got a big question for you, and I need your opinion." Aidan looked at speedy with wide blue eyes and smiled again. Speedy smiled too. "Good. We're communicating now."

Speedy emerged from the bedroom with Aidan half an hour later, heading into the kitchen. Robin was sitting at the table. The rest of the team was not yet awake.

"Morning, Robin," Speedy said.

"Hey, Speedy. Where's Torque?" Robin replied, ruffling Aidan's hair.

"She's in the shower. Why?" Speedy asked.

"I went to your room earlier looking for a sparring partner and you weren't there," Robin replied. Speedy sat down. He knew where this was going.

"How long have you been sleeping with her?" Robin asked.

"I don't see how that's anyone's business but ours," Speedy said softly but coldly. He didn't want to frighten Aidan.

"I'm not trying to make you mad, I just wondered. We all have to live here, you know," Robin replied. He hoped Speedy didn't think he was being a busy-body.

"We've been together since we rescued her last December," Speedy replied after a moment.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Robin asked.

Speedy shrugged. "We didn't think it was a big deal. I mean, we didn't want to step on anyone's toes or anything." Robin smiled.

"It was kinda obvious," Robin said with a grin.

"Really?" Speedy asked, sitting down with a glass of orange juice. The team leader smiled wider.

"I'm a married man, Speedy. I know that look anywhere," Robin laughed. Speedy laughed with him. "So…how's it going?" Speedy paused for a moment, swirling what was left of the orange juice in his glass and smiling wistfully.

"I'm crazy about her, Rob," Speedy said. Robin smiled back, "She's really something, isn't she?" The two sat in companionable silence until a few of the others joined them in the kitchen and the subject of relationships was put away.

"Raven, are you okay?" Beast Boy murmured when his wife suddenly rolled over and pulled the covers around her.

"I don't feel good," Raven whispered. It was obvious she was holding back tears. Beast Boy smiled sympathetically and wrapped his arms around her. Lightly, he kissed her ear.

"Do you want anything for breakfast?" he asked.

"Even the thought of food makes me nauseous right now, Beast Boy," Raven replied gently.

"I had to ask," Beast Boy replied softly before getting up and tucking the covers around her. "I love you, Raven." He was dressed and nearly to the door when he heard the sheets rustle and stopped.

"Beast Boy?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you, too."

Beast Boy smiled at Raven and then went to wake up the girls.

"Cyborg?"

"Hmm?"

"What time is it?" Jinx murmured.

"Don't matter…it's Saturday…" Cyborg muttered, shifting his weight. He wasn't used to sleeping in a real bed. When he and Jinx married, the team had all pitched in and created a type of adapter that allowed Cyborg to plug into a special outlet near he and Jinx's bed so that he could charge his battery at night and still sleep beside his wife. Cyborg had nearly cried. He had no idea anyone else had thought of it. It was this gift that now allowed him to be lying where he was now, watching his wife open her sleepy pink eyes and look up at him. She was the greatest gift he had ever been given. Jinx sat up slowly and turned, gingerly letting her feet touch the cold floor. She hissed audibly.

"Floor's cold in the mornings…I'll have to turn up the thermostat in the basement so the floors warm up," Cyborg commented.

"It's not the floors…" Jinx whimpered.

Starfire rolled over that morning to find a small, warm body cuddled up against her. Jason had been suffering from nightmares for the past week and had taken to crawling in bed with his mother and father. Starfire didn't seem to mind this, but she could tell it was bothering Robin. Jason would never tell them what his dreams were about—he claimed he couldn't remember—and Robin was beginning to wonder if something was seriously wrong. When Starfire looked at her son, he opened his eyes and smiled.

"Good morning, mother," he said quietly.

"Good morning, my little bungorf. Did you sleep better here with mother and father?" Starfire replied. Jason nodded as he cuddled closer and gave his mother a hug.

"Do you remember your dream?" Starfire asked. Jason still refused to tell her. She too was beginning to hope that something was not wrong with her young son.

The sun warmed the edges of the water as it lapped over the rocks and tickled Terra's bare toes. She loved mornings like this, they were still warm enough to feel like summer, but a cool breeze could drop down at any second and remind you that autumn was fast approaching. Terra watched bubbles churn up from beneath the surface of the water and spontaneously shrank back. A head of dark hair and matching eyes surfaced, followed by a mischievous grin.

"Don't tell me I scared you," Aqualad teased. Terra smiled and tiptoed to the edge of the rocks again, crouching down where he could reach her. The seafaring Titan reached up and cupped Terra's face in his hand, caressing her cheek with his thumb before he kissed her.

"I've been waiting too long for that," Terra murmured.

"I know," Aqualad replied with a soft smile.

"So, what do you have planned today?" Terra asked.

"Well, first of all, I brought you something," Aqualad replied. Terra's eyes lit up. A present?

"Where is it?" Terra asked.

"You have to come with me to get it," Aqualad said.

"Aqualad, I can't swim!" Terra cried, "and I definitely can't breathe underwater!"

"Not a problem. There's a set of SCUBA gear up in the tower and I'll teach you to swim as we go," Aqualad responded. He had anticipated Terra's lack of aquatic abilities. Terra stood on the beach a moment and looked back up at the Tower. Aqualad sensed her hesitation. He lifted himself up out of the water and wrapped his hands around her shoulders.

"C'mon, I'll come with you and help you get set up. I promise, I won't let you drown," Aqualad said soothingly. Terra still looked skeptical.

"C'mon," he coaxed, "Your present is waiting!" At the roguish smile on his face, Terra finally smiled back and the two made their way to the Tower.

Minutes later, they were back in the ocean and well on their way. Despite her fears, Terra caught on quickly under Aqualad's tutelage and soon, they were diving deeper into the ocean. Aqualad used his telepathy to communicate with her once they went under and he led her along colorful reefs and other amazing sights that Terra knew many of the others had never seen before. They stopped to observe a school of sleek, silver tuna and Terra noticed something resembling a gigantic oyster below them. Aqualad signaled for her to follow him and they descended to it. Aqualad coaxed the creature to open its massive jaws and Terra had to fight not to gasp. Inside was a string of real pearls that Aqualad himself had cultured and grown for her. He smiled as he fixed them around her neck and kissed her cheek.

"Boy, if I wasn't breathing through this thing right now…" Terra thought. Aqualad blushed. Terra was about to suggest that they return to the surface when five very colorful, very friendly little tropical fish swam up, darting this way and that around them.

"They're adorable!" Terra squealed in her mind. Aqualad laughed.

"They think you're kinda cute yourself. These are friends of mine. They said they'd like to go home with you," Aqualad replied. Terra was flattered.

"They'd leave their home to live with me?" Terra thought to Aqualad.

"You were brave enough to leave your comfort zone and come to them, so they think they'd like to try the same…that is, if you'll have them," Aqualad said. Terra tickled the little fish and they spun and twirled around her hands.

The two returned to the surface and Terra popped her breathing mask off her face. She didn't even hesitate to soundly kiss Aqualad when he came up in front of her. Using a plastic bag to transport them, Terra took her new friends up onto the surface with her.

"Why don't you stay for lunch? You haven't been here in a while," Terra suggested.

"I have to do my patrols. Let's make it dinner," Aqualad said, kissing Terra again.

"Deal," Terra replied, lightly kissing him again before she turned and headed back for the Tower.

When Terra walked back into Titans Tower, she found it surprisingly quiet.

"What's going on?" Terra said softly as she transferred her new friends to an aquarium.

"Auntie Terra, guess what?" said Olivia, jogging over to hug her. Terra's eyes lit up as she hoisted the little one up into her arms.

"What's up, kiddo?" Terra asked brightly.

"Auntie Jinx is having her baby!" said Olivia. Terra almost dropped her in surprise.

"Where is everyone else?" Terra asked.

"Lots of people are out on patrols. Uncle Cy is upstairs with Auntie Jinx," said Olivia. Terra put Olivia down and made her way upstairs to the med bay. The soft beep of the heart monitor led her inside to where Jinx was nestled into bed and Cyborg was seated next to her. He was murmuring words of comfort and holding her hand as she softly grunted through the pain of a contraction. Terra could easily tell when the pain was starting to ease up and then Jinx sighed as she relaxed back against the pillows. Once she was comfortable again, Cyborg looked up.

"Hey little rock n' roller, what's up?" he asked softly. He looked like he was trying very hard to be calm. Terra smiled and came forward a few steps.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked.

"Not really. The medicine's kicking in and it's helping some. It's relieving enough of the pain so that she can sleep between contractions," Cyborg replied. Terra nodded and sat down on the other side of the bed. Jinx opened her eyes and smiled weakly.

"Hi, Terra," Jinx murmured.

"How's it going?" Terra asked gently.

"I'm a little dizzy and in a lot of pain, but otherwise I'm fine. I'm actually kind of excited…we've been waiting forever for this," Jinx replied. Terra squeezed Jinx's hand and smiled again.

"Cy, if you need a break, I can sit with her for a while. I know you didn't eat breakfast," Terra said. Cyborg looked at his wife and hesitated, but Jinx gestured toward the door.

"Go on. My contractions are still far enough apart. I'm not having this baby any time soon," Jinx said. Cyborg bent down, kissed her, and then did as he was told. The girls were sure his growling stomach had some hand in the decision as well.

The other Titans returned from patrols around lunch time, filling the Tower with the sounds of a successful round.

Speedy raided the refrigerator for a soda and seated himself on the couch. Avoiding all the action in the kitchen, shy Jason joined him there.

"Hey, sport," Speedy said brightly. "How's it going?"

"Fine…" said Jason, picking at his shoes.

"Hey, I've been meaning to talk to you. Your dad says you've been having some bad dreams lately," Speedy said. "Wanna talk about it?" Jason seemed to freeze for a moment, wondering if he should.

"It's stupid…" Jason muttered.

"Hey, man, there's nothing wrong with being afraid. Being afraid makes us human. Sometimes being afraid keeps us safe. Then there are other times when being afraid can put a cramp in your style," Speedy explained. Jason giggled. He liked the way Uncle Speedy explained things. Speedy smiled.

"You thought that was funny, huh?" Speedy grinned. Jason nodded.

"Well, how's about telling me about that dream?" Speedy asked. Jason scooted a little closer to Speedy and bit his lower lip. Beast Boy entered the room with a soda and a bag of chips.

"What am I missing?" Beast Boy asked, casually entering the conversation.

"Jason's just about to tell us about this nasty nightmare he's been having," Speedy reported.

"Whoah, I love scary stories!" Beast Boy said, exaggerating his reaction on purpose.

"I dreamed I was all alone in the Tower. It was dark and no one was around," Jason reported.

"We've all had that feeling. This place is a little intimidating when it's dark," Speedy replied.

"For sure," nodded Beast Boy. "Is there more? Do you get attacked by a flesh-eating ooze monster?" Torque smacked Beast Boy's shoulder as she came into the area and overheard him.

"Way to scare him more, BB!" she said incredulously. Beast Boy threw a couple chips at her and then they gestured for Jason to continue as Torque turned on the television and began to flip channels.

"I ran and ran and I couldn't go anywhere. I got lost," Jason said. "See? It's stupid."

"What's stupid?" asked Robin, sliding onto the couch beside his son.

"Jason was telling us about his dream," Beast Boy said, crunching another chip.

"Oh? What did I miss?" Robin asked, trying hard to restrain his reaction. There had been no warning before Jason started talking. Speedy filled in the gaps and Robin listened carefully. When they were done, Jason looked forlornly up at his father with big emerald colored eyes.

"Son, that's nothing to be afraid of. Dreams like that can be symbols of something we're really afraid of in real life," Robin replied.

"Symbols?" Jason said.

"Yeah," said Robin. "I think I know what your dream means already!"

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" said Raven. She had been listening over their shoulders on the other side of the couch. "Jason dreams that he's alone because he kind of is. Olivia is in school now so there's no one close to his age left in the Tower for him to play with."

"Exactly," Robin said.

"Is that what's really scaring you, buddy? Your playmate left you?" Speedy asked sincerely. Jason slowly nodded. Robin sighed with relief. He and Star had been concerned that something was really wrong. He was grateful that it was something he could help with.

"Don't you worry, spud," said Beast Boy, getting up to take Speedy's place as he and Torque left the room. "Soon Emily and Aidan will be old enough for you to play with and you know, one of us adults is always around so you can always come get one of us to play with." Jason nodded and leaned over to one side and then the other, hugging Uncle BB and his father.

"Why don't you go in the kitchen, big guy, your mom's got lunch for you," Robin said, helping Jason down off the couch. Jason nodded and did as he was told.

Speedy pulled Torque into the empty upstairs solarium and relaxed back into a stack of huge floor pillows directly in the path of the warm afternoon sun. Torque waited until he was comfortable and then arranged herself beside him with her head pillowed against his chest. Torque wrapped her arms around Speedy's torso and squeezed, gently releasing seconds later and sighing as she relaxed. Speedy's arms wound around her and hugged her to him as he kissed the top of her head.

"I'm so lucky to have you," Speedy whispered.

"Yes, you are," Torque replied. Speedy chuckled. He loved her playful honesty.

"You know, I had a talk with Aidan this morning," Speedy said.

"Mmm? And what did he have to say?" Torque purred, closing her eyes against the glare of the sun and soaking up the heat.

"Not much--just stuff. You know, the Green Arrow was my mentor for a long time and he was kind of a father figure for me. He told me something one night on patrols that I'll never forget," Speedy said. "He told me that you can tell you've found the woman you're supposed to spend the rest of your life with if she fits perfectly in your arms."

Torque smiled as Speedy's arms tightened around her. He breathed for a few minutes with his nose in her hair and Torque fought not to giggle and pull away. That tickled!

"Feels perfect to me," Speedy said, smoothing one hand down Torque's back and sliding into one of the pockets on the back of her jeans. Torque looked up at him.

"Are you asking me to marry you?" Torque commented.

"Are you accepting?" Speedy replied.

"What about Aidan?" Torque asked.

"He and I already got that covered. I asked him if I could propose to you and he said it would be okay with him if I promised to take good care of you. I told him you were going to be more worried about him, and asked if he thought it would be okay if I adopted him. He said he would like that," Speedy explained. Torque's eyes filled with tears.

"You would adopt my son?" Torque whispered, overtaken by emotion.

"Well, yeah…if you'll be my wife," Speedy replied, using his thumb to brush away a few stray tears.

"Yes!" Torque cried, straddling Speedy's thighs and leaning down to kiss him. She hadn't been so happy in a long time. Torque and Speedy spent another good hour in the warmth of the solarium, kissing, cuddling, and thanking God for the love in their lives.

An hour later, the red emergency lights began to blink and the Titans rushed up to the med bay—Jinx's labor was not going as smoothly as planned.