Chapter-26 Home Again AKA The Past Dies

READ THIS!...Well, it's finally come to this…THE LAST CHAPPIE IN THE FIC! Tears up again! ;( I know! This fic was only up for maybe six or seven months but it feels so short lived! . But like I said, there WILL be an epilogue to this really soon after that will contain the summary for 'Gizmo's Birthday 2' which will most likely be up early NEXT WEEK! WHOO! XD See? There's something to look forward to! And when that fic comes, I promise I'll try and update more frequently than I did with the first Gizmo's Birthday fic, K:) And about the Steffauri coupling poll maybe two chappies ago, results are in from the many who reviewed. (thanx by the way!) And I got some votes for BB to go back to her, one vote for Billy, and several others including myself would best like to see Steff coupled with Mammoth. And if you read the last chappie, that was when their newly founded relationship finally kicked off. Evewn if it wasn't the coupling you would've liked to see, sorry about that, but I hope you liked it anyways! BUT! B4 we start the chappie, I'd like to point out this much for the epilogue chappie!...There will be a full, long ass summary of everything to come in Gizmo's Birthday 2, my BFF's appearing OC's bios, and even some small spoilers! XD So PLEASE read it, and send in requests if there's something you'd like to see happen in GB2! Okay…NOW! Enjoy the very, very, last chappie of this fic ever…I know, just draggin' it along here ain't I? Tee-Hee! . Enjoy! And REVIEW! .……PS-Damn! What's up with me and these long as AN's? Tee-Hee! .

It took the choppers a good two hours to get the groups all back to Jump City safe and sound, but for the friends, it was a worthwhile journey.

As BB peered out one of the chopper's cockpit windows (even though the pilot had told him over and over not to do it…) he finally caught a glimpse of Titans Tower coming closer and closer into view.

"Hey guys! We're almost home!" BB cried out, with that one bit of exuberance, for one moment, he'd almost forgotten the death of his beloved Terra.

Well…Almost.

As the choppers finally landed and the clusters of friends jumped out, there was mass cheering and happiness being spread all around.

However, Robin was still questioning who'd been protecting the city while they were gone, but a pile of about ten newpapers piled atop one another before the tower's large doors revealing photos of the Titans East answered it.

"Well, thank God for that at least." The boy wonder said to himself as he picked up the papers and Cyborg entered the code to enter.

Everyone then entered happily, well, sprinted in.

Mammoth and Steffauri were second to last in, the princess clinging onto Mammoth's muscular right arm as they did so.

As Steffauri passed Beast Boy by, without even so much as a smile or even a brief glance, that was when BB knew it for real…it was over. Steffauri had found new love and was finally back on her feet.

And even though BB still considered it his fault, he wasn't so unhappy anymore.

"Maybe, just maybe, after all that she did, and how uncomfortable she got…maybe, this was the way Terra wanted it." BB whispered to himself as he ran in after the large groups.

As the teams prepared to enter the tower's main room, they found that the titans East were already there, with food and party hats out.

"SURPRISE!" The five of them exclaimed as the Titans and the Hive screamed in fright and fell backwards immediately.

"Wha-what is all this?" Robin asked, plucking a streamer from his mussed hair.

Bumblebee then walked forward, and gave Robin a hardy punch in the shoulder.

"Well, let's just say we saw that news report and just like that, we knew where you were. At first I'll admit, we thought you ran out on us!" Bumblebee said as she looked out the large window outward to the city.

"Well, thanks for taking over while we were gone. Uh, we'll all go get cleaned up while you all set up okay?" Robin finally agreed as the group behind him gathered into deeper conversation.

"But, remember, there are only eight bathrooms." Hayley pointed out, wagging her index finger tauntingly.

(AN!- in my vision of Titans Tower, there are eight bathrooms, one for each Titan-formerly Terra's bedrooms, one in the main hall, and one in the infirmary area. K?)

"Well, okay, I don't think we'll mind sharing a tub, just one more time." Jinx said blushing as KF moved his hand down to her hip smoothly. (OOOH! Tub sex! LOL! Well…not really! Aw man! .)

"Uh…QUE?" (what) Mas y Menos both cried out at once as a few members from both the Titans and the Hive burst out laughing.

But despite that fact, some, well, ALL members of the Titans East remained somewhat disturbed, and still, most definitely not wanting to know what had gone on in that house after they'd left.

Oddly enough, when in the bathrooms, the two reunited teams all decided on their own this time, to stay in the same groups they'd been in when they first entered the manor a week and a half ago.

And surprisingly enough, there were no arguments or death threats this time! (Tee-Hee!)

Meanwhile up in Cyborg's room, he, BB, and Gizmo were actually engaging in a non-violent, actually civilized conversation…for once!

Beast Boy and Gizmo had gotten over the oh so vital feud over who got what side of the tub and were now just sitting on their own sides talking about their horrific, yet memorable experience over the past nine days.

Just then, Gizmo looked over to Cyborg, who was standing next to the double-sink bathroom vanity, polishing his metallic parts (just like in chappie #3! YAY! A chappie number mentioned that I didn't screw up! XD) And then he looked down to his right arm, now tied up in a cast, and held in a new sling.

Despite their undisputable differences, Cyborg had done everything he could while they were stranded to help keep him alive and in good health.

"Hey tin can." Gizmo called from over by the tub as Cy turned to face the child.

"Thanks." Gizmo said as a small hint of blush began to form on his cheeks.

Little Gizmo had never really been used to the kindness of others, accept for a few, and so he'd never really been accustomed to showing them kindness back either, so for him, this was kinda embarrassing, especially in front of someone who was both his formidable opponent and former number one rival.

(AN!- I say 'former rival' because if you actually read the last 25-chappies, you'll notice that at first they were all quarreling non stop, but once they were stranded, their rivalries were sort of forgotten.)

Cyborg cracked a satisfied smile.

"Ah, don't worry about it. But I really didn't expect you to thank me this soon!" Cyborg finished in an astonished voice as Gizmo's blush faded and he smiled slightly as well.

Over in the next bathroom, in the infirmary, Jinx and Kid Flash were passionately kissing, and KF had declared that he'd decided to move in with Jinx and her team.

"So, are you sure you want to do this?" (No! Not THAT! God! .) Jinx asked as Kid Flash pulled away from his girlfriend slowly and nodded once with a smile.

"If it means being closer to you, then I'll do it, no matter what it means for me." The speedster declared lovingly as Jinx kissed him once more, this time, the kiss was a little more brief than the last.

After everyone had finished cleaning up and had met back downstairs, the party really started kicking off.

The Titans and the Titans East were standing around in either the kitchen of the living room, just eating and/or talking about what happened in Ammoraye's mansion.

As of now, Steffauri had left the party and had gone outside to sit by the shore and get some air, and Gizmo was busy telling Mas y Menos about his triumphs during that time.

"And then, the bridge collapsed and Cyborg and I fell, but I got out fine! See?" Gizmo asked, despite the fact that he had a rather noticeably long scratch where the long cut he got on his left cheek was healing, and his right arm was in a sling.

The twins then eyed each other with smirks on their faces as they turned back to face Gizmo.

"What?" Was all Gizmo could muster, trying to hide his broken right arm.

The two of them then chuckled to themselves as Gizmo groaned slightly, bending forward, fully exposing his damaged arm.

Back in the kitchen…..

"So, you guys saw the news reports, who sent out those choppers to come after us?" Robin asked as his team suddenly snapped back into the reality of the situation and remembered that.

"Hey yeah! I was wonderin' that too!" Cyborg pointed out as Aqualad stepped forward.

"Well, one of the members of the news crew said that some lady named uh, I think it was Hirra…Yeah! That's it! Some lady named Hirra that worked in that house knew you all were out there, and she killed the owner who invited us there. So she turned herself in, so when the police came, she told them where to find you." Aqualad said as the titans gaped at the turn of events in that statement.

"Wow, I guess we really were lucky. I mean, who knows how long we would've been in that hell hole if someone hadn't of been watching us." Hayley pointed out with a horrified gulp as the thought of even one more second out there passed through her mind.

Just then, BB glanced halfheartedly around the room.

Steffauri was nowhere to be seen, so Mammoth was now sitting with Gizmo rather than speaking with his new girlfriend, and Terra could no longer be there anyways.

"Hey, Beast boy, where're you going?" Raven asked in her usual monotone voice as the changeling pulled away from the group and walked over to Mammoth.

"Hey, you seen Steffauri anywhere?" B asked as Mammoth nodded and pointed back to the door to the main room behind them.

"She said she needed to go outside and get some air. But! Before you go, I just wanted to tell you, that as much as this might hurt ya, you need to know it." Mammoth stated seriously as he slowly pulled a confused BB back to where he was sitting.

"O-kay, what? "He asked.

"You know, even if Terra had come back, you know good things never last forever, and you should never jump out for them that fast, because you may not have known it…but you had one of those great things, even after Terra left, and now you've lost both." Mammoth said as Beast Boy stood there, with a look on his face that suggested he was wallowing in his misery.

And as if he were taking the gentle giants words to heart. Which he was at the moment.

But only a few seconds afterward, he found himself tearing off towards the door and then out to the elevator.

Meanwhile, outside on the shore, Steffauri had removed her whitish blue heel-level boots, and was standing halfway in the cold ocean water.

As of now though, she'd gathered every photograph she had, all but maybe one or two memorable ones, of her past love lives.

She was tearing them into little shreds, and letting them be cast away into the wind, letting them go, so that the winds could carry them off to wherever they pleased.

She now knew, why she felt so trapped, she'd been focusing on little things all her life, and she knew she could no longer chain down the ones she loved that were now gone, and act like simple memories can rekindle their beings in her heart.

Just then, as she let Beast Boy's picture flow away in the steady current of the wind, a familiar voice rang from behind her.

As her eyes widened, she turned around and saw a smiling Beast Boy standing there, as if nothing had happened, as happy as the day she'd first et him…but not inside.

"Hello Beast Boy." Steffauri said coolly as her long brown hair hid her shadowy face while it whipped past her in the chilly breeze.

The prolonged moment of silence between the two was agonizing, but BB, as expected was the first to break the silence.

"So uh, everyone's lookin' for you inside, you wanna come back in?" BB asked as Steffauri looked back to him.

"Beast Boy, does it really have to be like this? I mean, does everything between us have to change now, all because of one's death?" Steffauri asked as BB's eyes widened.

Steffauri's sayings were never just empty words. They meant something, they were taken straight from her heart and brought out to the world because she felt the need for us to know what we want is right in front of us.

She just didn't know why Beast Boy couldn't see what he had all along.

"Uh, what do you mean by that?" BB asked as Steffauri grabbed her shoes, and floated up the tower's island hill and placed her hand on his shoulder upon landing.

"What I mean is, why do you feel the need to love one, when you can love many? Why seek the love of a single girl, when you can freely have it from five wonderful friends. I hope, that one day Beast Boy, you'll see exactly what I mean. And now, after the one you love has been taken; you know how everyday of my life has been since Kodainma left as well." Steffauri said as she and Beast Boy walked back into the tower…each in total silence trapped in their own fragile worlds.

So, in a way, BB knew what she was saying. And, he now had hope, just the faintest glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel that said- 'you'll be alright.' And he liked it.

Back in the tower…..

Speedy and Aqualad had picked up about 200-odd letters and dumped them on the kitchen table, the titans gaping at the stash that had been left for them.

"Holy shit! You mean we got all this in only nine days?" Robin asked as he began to thumb through the letters one by one.

"Uh, Hayley, Me, Me, Me, Me, free porn, me, me, hey!" Robin finally gasped as he came across a familiar red letter encrusted in gold décor and a gold wax sealing on the back.

Just then everyone from all three groups crowded around robin and stared deeply into the horrors that same red letter brought nine days ago.

And with that, they all chimed in unison…

"BURN IT!"

The End!

AN!- HA HA! I hope ya'll liked the ending! .I know! I'm so happy! This fic did so well! And I'm SO happy u all liked it…still sad it's over tho but nevertheless! . Anywho, I don't have much 2 say now, accept for these 2-things…1.) REVIEW NOW! And review the epilogue 'cause it's important! And 2.) READ THE FUCKIN' EPILOGUE! I'm saying this because if you read the first AN at the beginning of the chappie, there IS VERY IMPORTANT INFO AND THE CHANCE TO POST REQUESTS FOR EVENTS IN 'GIZMO'S BIRTHDAY 2'! Plus…THERE ARE SPOILERS AND CHARACTER INFO BIOS 4 THE FIC 2! So PWEEZE! If you have any kindness left in ur heart…read the epilogue! Tee-Hee! . I'll post the epilogue tomorrow! Promise! See ya later! PS-STARTING DATE 4 GIZMO'S BIRTHDAY 2 HAS BEEN CHANGED! IT WILL BE STARTED ON SATURDAY! WAHOOOOOO! XD Peace out! Now…REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! .