A/N: Hello again . Before I start, I would like to thank all of those who took the time to read this story and wrote a review. It made me so happy, I think I lost my voice as I was rejoicing D. I'm very glad that you guys liked it and not only does it benefit you, but it helps me a lot with my writing skills. Hopefully you'll continue to read it and tell me more of what you think. Anyways, here's chapter two of The Ugly Duckling, so please read and review, but most importantly have fun with the fic. Oh, and I ask for no flames whatsoever, thank you.
Disclaimer: Again, Teen Titans does not belong to me.
The Ugly Duckling
By Sherabaroo
'This would look beautiful on mommy,' she beamed, plucking another flower. 'And it will make her happy.' Carefully, she placed the blossoming flower as the main centerpiece.
Young four-year old Raven gazed with pride at her creation. In her hands was a bright colored crown, weaved together by various flowers that she had collected from the garden. As she held it up, Raven's eyes sparkled with excitement, envisioning her mother's reaction when she would show her what she made. 'I will make her happy,' she repeated in her mind, 'and she will love me.'
Raven stood up from her spot on the dirt and quickly ran towards the house. She skipped up the stairs, her heart fluttering with every step. As she neared her mother's bedroom, she stopped and peered inside. Her mother was not there.
Seeing that no one was inside, Raven turned her head and was about to check in another room, when her eye caught something glimmering. Curious, she walked over to the inviting light, and saw on a tableside, her mother's vanity mirror. Ever so gently, Raven picked up the mirror. Amethyst eyes stared back at her as she viewed her face. Remembering the surprise that she had made for her mother, the small child glanced at her flowery crown, before slowly placing it on her head. She smiled at her reflection. 'I look pretty,' she thought.
"What are you doing?"
Startled by the low, biting voice, Raven dropped the mirror, causing broken glass to lie scattered on the floor. She whirled around to find her mother glaring at her from the door. Her heart seized. "Mommy, I'm sorry, I-I didn't-" Raven cried, as she hurriedly bent down to pick up the metal frame of the mirror, holding it out to the madden woman. "Mommy, I-I wanted to look pretty for you. I-"
Her mother advanced from the doorway, moving to where the little girl stood hopelessly begging. She snatched the metal frame from her small hands and glowered in disgust, "Pretty for me? Do not fool yourself child. You will never be more than what you are now," she spat, stooping down to meet the girl at eye level. "Beauty was never intended for you and nothing can change that."
Raven's lip trembled. Her mother's words tore through her heart, clutching her insides painfully. Her eyes welled up with tears as she covered her face, ashamed of appearing hideous in the eyes of her mother.
The woman continued scornfully, "And look at you. What is that ridiculous thing on your head?" She snagged the crown Raven had created from atop her head, looking at it disdainfully. Raven quietly answered, "Mommy, I made that for you-"
But the bitter woman cut her off, crushing the headpiece with her palm. She threw it on the ground. "It does not suit me nor does it for you." She stood up, brooding over her crumpled daughter and snarled, "Clean this mess up."
Her mother jutted her chin in the air and turned away. She walked out the door, leaving Raven to her tears.
With eyes red and swollen, Raven glanced at herself in a glass fragment. She whimpered. Her face was streaked with tears and her hair was tangled from when her mother had pulled the crown. She looked over to the destroyed blossoming crown, grabbed it, and threw it a corner. "Mommy doesn't like it," Her heart was aching, "It's not pretty anymore," she cried.
'I'm not pretty anymore'
- - - - - - - - - -
Saturday had finally come. With this thought in mind, Mae jumped around her lavish bedroom with as much energy as any child would on her celebrated birthday. This, however, proved to be difficult for a ruffled Raven. As Mae excitedly bounced off her walls and prattled on with how much fun today would bring, Raven was chasing her daughter around the room, trying hopelessly to finish dressing up Mae, who pranced about half naked in Hello Kitty undies. Despite how drained Raven was, as if Mae was sucking the energy out of her and using it to intensify hers, Raven laughed along with her daughter, savoring this lively chase.
Eventually cornering Mae in a fit of giggles, Raven launched at her wiggling daughter, snatched her and carried her to an unmade queen-size bed. "Whew," Raven breathed, "I caught you." Mae, who slowed down her laughter, was now staring intently at her mother. She leaned into where her mother was lying, smoothing away the hair that hid her mother's face. The little girl then pecked a kiss on Raven's forehead, which melted her heart. Raven sat up and beamed at her small child.
"Alrighty then, lets get you dressed my tiny ball of energy," this elicited a small giggle from Mae, who finally gave in after their short exhausting game. As Mae lifted up her arms to allow her mother to slip a rich violet-colored dress on her small frame, there was a knock on the door, opening it to reveal a jolly Roger with spread out arms, "Happy Birthday my Marjorie!" Mae wiggled her head through the small opening of her dress, jumped off her bed and sprang into her father's arms, which wrapped lovingly around the birthday girl. "Daddy!" She cried.
Roger spun his little girl around a couple times, before setting her down and kissing her tiny lips. Raven observed and as touching as the scene was, she felt a pang of hurt that Roger would never willingly kiss her on the lips, even if it was a small and short one. Raven pinched herself, angry that she could be hurt by this simple fact. Don't be selfish she chided herself Just be grateful he isn't abusive and hurts her.
"Daddy, did you get my present?" asked the little girl, asking the same question a few days back. Again, Roger smiled, "Yes, baby. In fact, we can open it right now." He took Mae's hand, ready to lead her downstairs to where her gift was waiting for her. Mae, however, did not move from her spot and pouted. "But daddy, won't you be at the party when I open it?" the young child asked, believing that he would go to her party.
This should've saddened Roger, but instead, he shook his head and wearing a fake disappointment, he replied, "Babe, I'll be busy the whole day and I don't think I'll have time to come. Don't worry, you'll have your mommy to be with you," He motioned towards Raven, who was hurt by her husband's lies. But always hiding her emotions, she played along with Roger and smiled at her daughter.
"And you won't even know I'm gone." He continued, "So that's why I say we should open my gift while I'm still here." He flashed his little girl a charming smile, to wrap up his convincing act. Mae looked to Raven and then to her father. She knew that her daddy couldn't come, but at least he loved her enough to buy her a present. This cheered the optimistic young girl up, grinning back at her father. "Ok then," Mae agreed.
"Yay, that's my girl," the man chuckled. Roger bent down, captured Mae in his arms a second time, and carried her to the awaited birthday gift, while Mae chatted away her guesses of what it could possibly be. Raven watched them leave, feeling every bit neglected as she is once again pushed away in the sidelines.
- - - - - - - - - -
"Mama, look what Daddy got me!" exclaimed a very thrilled Mae. She pushed the brand-new doll house to show her mother, who was placing five candles on a small, round frosted cake.
Raven blinked. She gaped at the gift that Roger had given Mae for her birthday. It was a polished vintage doll-house, seizing the essence of a house built during the Victorian Age. As Mae opened the large sized house to reveal its contents, Raven noticed that the house was completely furnished, decorated with separate miniscule commodities on the first and second floors. It also came with a family set of small figurine dolls, each owning their own clothing line to be changed into from day to day. The gift was definitely not cheap.
"Wow honey…that's lovely," said Raven, amazed. Holding a box of board-games, Terra peered around and looked at the lavish house. She turned to Raven and laughed at her astonished expression. "Goes to show that Roger knows how to shop."
Raven nodded, agreeing to her blonde friend's statement. But as she agreed, Raven couldn't help but frown. She thought back to her own present. Her present for Mae was an antique china doll that her grandmother had given to her for her birthday many years ago. Raven figured that now was the time to hand it down to her own daughter, similar to how it was handed down to her as a child. But aside from that, it discouraged Raven, for it wasn't as extravagant or expensive as Roger's doll house. She didn't even need to buy it too. Raven didn't know why, but she had this sudden feeling that she was competing with her husband over a silly birthday present.
Raven sighed and reminded herself that although her husband's gift was bought with cash, hers, however, came from her heart, and that's the only thing that matters. It's the thought that counts she smiled and both presents are lovely.
A tap from her shoulder broke her from her thoughts as Raven turned and looked at the disappointed face of Terra. "What's wrong?" Raven asked.
"Remember how you said that Mae's grandma was gonna show up? Well…a maid handed me the phone and….umm I just got off the phone with Mrs. Red and she said she's not coming," said Terra, expecting Raven to be upset with the news just as she was. But Raven just faced her daughter, told her to bring her doll-house to her room, and then turned back to Terra, unfazed by the information.
"Did she say why she couldn't come?" Raven moved away from her spot, carrying the iced cake to a table.
"No actually. She just said she simply didn't want to come. She also said that it wasn't too important," Terra replied, shaking her head at how someone could say something like that. "That was extremely rude of her. You shouldn't have invited her."
"Figures," said Raven, too busy to be upset over it. Just like her son she thought.
"But why? I'd be angry if someone used that lame excuse. I don't know why you're not pissed off with this as you should be."
Raven's back was facing Terra as she looked at the decorated basement with satisfaction. She glanced over her shoulders, towards her friend, "She's like that. It doesn't really surprise me that she said she isn't coming." Terra raised a questioning eyebrow. Raven shrugged. "Mrs. Red isn't really fond of me. And she's not all that crazy about Mae either. I guess she still hasn't gotten over her disapproval with me marrying her son. I don't care really."
Terra tucked a golden lock behind her ear, recalling back to her conversation with the old woman. "Maybe she couldn't come because…she had a really good reason and didn't want to say." The blonde suggested.
Raven snorted, "Didn't want to say what? That she loathes the fact her darling son married a low-life like me and produced a child unworthy of her love?" she said dryly. "Give it up Terra. Maybe she couldn't come because she simply didn't want to," Raven ignored Terra's pointless comments, and headed upstairs. She could hear the laughter of Mae's friends loudly through the front door.
"Maybe she's stupid," Terra called out from behind. "And doesn't know what she's talking about."
Raven smirked, "Yeah, that sounds more reasonable."
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A/N: The plan was, was that this chapter and the next chapter would be combined into one long chapter but it was way to long, that I thought that the site might not download the whole thing. So that's why I broke chapter 2 into two separate parts, all occurring on the same day and time. I hope that it doesn't confuse anyone…Anyways, if you're reading this, I thank you for reading the chapter , it means a lot
Till next time…