Chapter 2: Frustrated and Lonely

A/N: This chapter and the one that follows it include an instance of corporeal punishment. If this is something that bothers you, please proceed with caution. You've been warned.

It had been weeks since the night that Mammoth brought Toby home, and for Toby, it was as if life had not even stopped. He never ceased to amaze his parents by being a perfectly active five year old. He had been thrilled when, shortly before he left for an extended stay in the sea, Uncle Aqualad presented each of the three oldest kids with two tropical fish of their very own.

Days later, Aqualad stared longingly up at the watery reflection of the sun through the water. He had spent the last few days negotiating a peace treaty between the people of Atlantis and the whales that were inhabiting a stretch of ocean near the edge of the thriving underwater metropolis. He missed his friends on land, but he was especially lonesome for a certain petite blonde whom he was certain was missing him too. He longed to return to the surface—to hold her in his arms, listen to her laugh, to stare into her eyes, eyes that matched the sea after a storm. He had something terribly pressing to ask her, but he quivered wondering how she would react.

Back at Titans Tower, it was once again Terra's turn to mind the children while the other Titans took on a battle in the city. It was no secret that the earth-moving Titan had not been in the best of moods of late, and the children of the Titans knew it. Keen-minded little Olivia had a sneaking suspicion that she knew why, but she didn't want to jump to conclusions until she was sure. For now, she and Toby, accompanied by Jason and carrying little Emily, tiptoed into the Titans' practice arena. They had been in this room several times before with their parents, but never alone. Olivia, feeling a bit bold, looked at the others and smiled.

"Watch this!" she whispered, rising into the air several feet higher than she had been able to do before. She grinned as she heard Toby and Jason gasp from the ground.

"Olivia, don't!" Jason cried, stretching his hand out to her. Toby made a move to hold him back and bright green sparks burst from Jason's little hand. Toby gasped, Olivia returned to the ground, and Emily started to cry.

"Wow! Jason's got powers just like Auntie Star!" Olivia cried.

"That was scary!" Jason whimpered. Toby examined Jason's hand as the little one sniffled and started to cry. His palm was burned from the burst of power. Acting without thinking, Toby took Jason's hand between both of his and concentrated. There was a soft blue glow and Jason's hand was healed seconds later.

"How'd I do that?" Toby whispered to his sister.

"That was awesome!" Olivia squealed, hugging him tight. Toby smiled, but all four of the kids jumped in fright as the shadow of their present guardian fell over them.

"What are you guys doing in here?" Terra shouted. "Someone's going to get hurt! C'mon, get out of here!" The twins took hold of their smaller companions and retreated to their bedroom.

"Auntie Terra's sure grumpy," Toby muttered, playing with Olivia's hand-held game as he flopped down on his bed.

"It's because Uncle Aqualad isn't here," Olivia mumbled softly, standing on the footstool to feed their fish. Toby rolled over and looked at her.

"Does she love him?" Toby asked.

"I think so," Olivia replied, turning to face Toby and showing him a small cup containing one of her fish.

"What are you doing? Uncle Aqualad gave us those fishies," Toby asked, discarding the game.

"Yeah, he told us that if we ever needed him to let one of the fishies go and it would find him. Auntie Terra needs him. Someone has to do something," Olivia rationalized. She and Toby placed Emily in her crib and instructed Jason to stay there with her as they padded silently through the Tower, past the living room, down the stairs, and out to the beach. Olivia tiptoed to the edge of the rocks and carefully bent down to release the fish.

"Auntie Terra's coming!" Toby cried. Seconds after the fish left Olivia's hand, Terra was on them, dragging them by the hands back to the Tower. When they arrived back upstairs, Terra ordered Toby to go to the living room and watch the other kids. Meanwhile, she proceeded with Olivia to their bedroom.

"Auntie Terra, you're hurting me!" Olivia fussed. Terra ignored her until they reached the bedroom. Terra sat down on the bed and stood Olivia in front of her.

"Why do you insist on causing trouble?" Terra shouted. "Do you do this just to irritate me? I don't know if you act like this for your parents too, but it's going to end here!" Olivia wasn't used to people raising their voices to her. Raven and Beast Boy had been using a disciplinary method they learned at a meeting at Olivia and Toby's school. It concentrated on values and discussion rather than being punitive. It was more work, but it had been working so far. Olivia and Toby were active, outgoing kids, but as far as their parents were concerned, they were not trouble makers. The Logans had never struck their children, and Terra knew it. The shouting frightened Olivia and she covered her eyes with her hands as she sobbed.

"Are you listening to me?" Terra shouted, getting close to Olivia's face. Fed up, Terra pulled the child closer and pulled her pants down. Olivia reacted and tried to pull away, crying out, "No, Auntie Terra!"

"Spoiled brat! Your parents have never laid a hand on you!" Terra growled, forcing a trembling Olivia over her knee.

Toby could faintly hear his sister scream and sob, but fear paralyzed him to the spot he was sitting in. He had his younger sister, Emily in his lap, and she was dozing off to sleep in his arms. Jason was curled up on the floor beside him, and little Aidan had joined him. Toby occasionally looked over to see when Reese made little baby grunting noises as he slept. Toby allowed tears to slip down his face. He felt helpless to save his twin, but he would see to it that Auntie Terra couldn't hurt the others. Quickly, Toby woke Jason, Emily and Aidan and scooped Reese into his arms. Avoiding his and Olivia's room, Toby led the other children to Jason's room, where he tucked them one by one into Jason's bed except Reese. After locking the door, Toby held Reese himself.

"My powers may not be strong like Olivia's, but I can still do what Daddy said: play defense," Toby murmured.

When Terra left Olivia in her bedroom, she was grumbling again.

"Look at me," she growled. "Terra, super-human babysitter." Terra emerged back into the living room and stopped short as she discovered that the other kids were gone.

"Superhuman babysitter, huh? Sounds like a superb business scheme if you ask me," Speedy quipped, patting her on the back.

"Where are the kids?" asked Torque.

"Reese's cradle is still warm…Terra, where are the kids?" Jinx asked, her calm pink eyes beginning to fill with concern.

"Napping," Terra snapped, turning on her heel and leaving the room. Robin called for her, but she ignored him. Raven, Beast Boy, Torque, and Jinx went to go check on their kids as the others settled into the living room.

Beast Boy slipped his hand into Raven's and smiled as she blushed. The two reached Toby and Olivia's bedroom door, but heard nothing inside.

"Should we let them sleep?" Beast Boy asked, lightly kissing Raven's lips and nuzzling her playfully. Raven giggled softly and stroked his face.

"I just want to check. It's a mother thing," she replied. Beast Boy smiled, patted Raven's backside and pressed another soft kiss to her lips before she went to open the door. She opened the bedroom door and gasped. Olivia was lying on the floor. She had thrown up and then passed out, her skin ghostly pale. Olivia's eyes were puffy and red, and she had not even pulled up her little jeans after Terra had finished punishing her.

Raven and Beast Boy tried hard not to panic as they dropped to their knees and Beast Boy scooped his daughter into his arms. Raven used her powers to clean up the floor and then went down the hall to the bathroom to retrieve a washcloth. She gently washed Olivia's face as Beast Boy held her, begging her to wake up.

"Olivia, wake up," Beast Boy coaxed as calmly as he could. "Olivia Arella….c'mon, wake up, baby girl." Seconds passed and then Olivia awoke to her parents' relief. Raven gingerly took Olivia from Beast Boy's arms and hugged her. Beast Boy spotted the welts on her bottom and growled softly. Raven used her powers to heal away the redness and swelling, but she was sure the emotional sting of being beaten would hang on for a while. Beast Boy escorted his wife and daughter to his and Raven's room, where Raven levitated up onto the bed and sat up against the headboard. Beast Boy wrapped a blanket around them and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"She's gonna pay for this," Beast Boy growled.

"Calm down," Raven said evenly. "Find the rest of the kids. We can deal with this when we know the rest of the kids are safe." Beast Boy took a deep breath and the two jumped as Jinx and Torque's voices echoed back down the corridor.

"Reese isn't in his crib!"

"I thought you said Aidan was napping? Why isn't he in his crib?"

Beast Boy caught up with Robin in the hall and told him how he and Raven had found Olivia. Robin's eyes narrowed as he followed Beast Boy down the hall. If Terra had spanked one child, it was likely she had spanked the others on separate occasions.

"Jason's bedroom door is locked and I cannot get inside!" Starfire cried.

"I think we found the rest of the kids," Mammoth growled. Robin overrode the lock and the door slid open. Toby looked up with a gasp and then a sigh of relief. Jinx rushed forward as she swallowed her tears. "My baby!" she murmured as Toby surrendered the infant. Torque leaned over Aidan and stroked his little head. Aidan woke up, fussed a bit and then saw his mother. Smiling, he reached for her and Torque smiled as she lifted him into her arms. There was a tense silence in the air, so Speedy spoke up.

"Boy, you sure did do a nice job taking care of all the other kids all by yourself, Toby. Thanks, buddy," Speedy said, tousling Toby's hair.

"I'm not in trouble?" Toby murmured.

"No, son," Beast Boy said, coming forward and kneeling in front of him. "You thought the other kids were in danger and you were trying to protect them." Toby nodded and his eyes welled with tears.

"Where's Olivia?" Toby asked.

"Don't worry, Toby, Mamma's got her," Beast Boy replied, picking up Emily and then extending his hand to Toby.

"Toby, what happened that Auntie Terra did that to her?" Robin asked.

"She didn't do anything wrong. We weren't causing trouble," Toby replied defensively. He told the team what had transpired and Robin promised him that he would talk to Auntie Terra and make sure it didn't happen again.

Trouble was, where was Terra?

Meanwhile, deep in the ocean, Olivia's little fish reached his destination. The little creature flitted around Aqualad's head and he snapped out of his daydream. He cupped his hands and the little fish settled into them. Aqualad communicated by telepathy with the little fish and it only needed to say five words to move the marine Titan to action.

"There's trouble. Terra needs you."