All right, all right. Thanks for all the reviews, people. (FYI, I knew the chapter was short. I was just sort of lazy and didn't know exactly what else to write.)

Now, here comes the part that is bittersweet. The end of this continuation of the series' finale…which I think may be the best I've written up to this point. But I will not say that a lot, for it is up to YOU on the overall view.

After the story, stay tuned for a special thank-you to my regular reviewers!

Chapter 10.

Raven pursed her lips, like she always did in deep thought, as she looked over the recipe for stuffing. She knew that if it were to be especially delicious and not have that refrigerator taste to it, it should be made today, on Thanksgiving.

"Raven, I assure you that I remember how to make stuffing. I have my own recipe for it," Terra reminded her.

Raven smirked. "You just want to cook," she stated. "Was tearing the green beans not enough for you?"

"No, it wasn't," Terra answered honestly. "I know how to make stuffing that my mom used to make. It'll be the most delicious thing that's ever been in your mouth. You have my word!" she added jokingly.

Raven sighed, pretending to be stubborn. "Fine, you take charge. I'll set the table."

Terra smiled gratefully and began to bake instantly.

She and Raven were the only ones awake in the Tower. Actually, Raven was up first, but since Terra was a light sleeper, she heard Raven as the pots and pans were being placed out.

They still had to smoke the turkey, mash the potatoes, and rinse the salad for Beast Boy. His would be a big Caesar salad, because Terra knew how to make it and it was his favorite kind, with loads of feta cheese cubes.

For the most part of the early morning, the two girls rarely spoke to each other. It was mostly questions and answers ("What do we need to make?" "Turkey, salad, mashed potatoes…"). But there was this void that neither Raven nor Terra could ignore.

The dark girl looked up from the last placemat she set down, and eyed the geomancer carefully.

"You do know that we forgive you, right?" she asked.

Terra, who had just finished putting on an apron, looked up. "Um…yeah, I guess. Why?"

"I just wanted to let you know, in case you felt that you weren't exactly welcome here. Because we all talked it over…"

Raven couldn't help but allow a small grin grace her delicate, pale face.

Terra looked hopeful, but she didn't want to be too hopeful. Because what happed often when she became hopeful was that it would end up the exact opposite.

"I'm getting a feeling that it was about me…" she murmured.

Raven nodded. "Yes… We all decided that we want you to have a second chance as much as you do. Welcome back to the Titans."

Terra gasped. "Wh-What?"

Raven grinned, and reached into the pocket of her black dress pants, pulling out a communicator, holding it out to Terra.

"You deserve it. After all, if it weren't for you, none of us might be here right now."

Terra smiled, her eyes glassy as she accepted the gift, not hesitating to wrap Raven in a hug. "No. If it weren't for you, I might not be here right now," she whispered.

Raven, who was not used to hugs, still found the gusto to grin and give her a squeeze back. "Thanks."

They released each other, laughing awkwardly. Terra slipped back into the kitchen to shove the stuffing into the oven.

Once the stuffing was in order, Terra placed in the bird, and let it cook just as Raven finished setting the table.

Beast Boy awoke from his slumber by the sound of his stomach growling. He sat up in bed, and sniffed. There was a delicious aroma that he knew was from the kitchen; whether it was Cyborg or whoever it was, he didn't know. But he was starved.

He hopped out of the shower, and dressed in his outfit for that day: a black T-shirt underneath a white collared shirt, jeans, and black shoes. He let his hair hang messily wet from the quick shower he took, and he studied himself in the mirror, grinning a little.

This Thanksgiving would really be full of thanks for him.

With that realization in his head, he walked out the door and into the kitchen. He looked over by the stove, expecting Cyborg's thick frame, but was only greeted by a smaller form with long blonde hair in a messy bun, scratching her head.

"Terra, you're fine," Raven called from her place at the window, watching for visitors. "You can stop scrubbing the floor now. We have to shower, anyway."

Terra turned around, tucking a strand if hair behind her ear. "You sure, Raven?"

"I've got things covered here," the empath assured her.

Terra nodded, and suddenly noticed the changeling, giving him a smile. "Good morning, kind sir. Happy Thanksgiving."

He grinned back. "Ditto to you, Terra. You better go and get ready. They get here early."

"Okay," she replied, and as soon as she walked past him, she stopped in her tracks. "Whoa! What did you use in the shower?"

"Um…" Beast Boy was half embarrassed, half confused. "…Very Sexy for Him?"

Terra nodded with a coy smirk on her face. "Huh. I just asked 'cuz it nearly knocked me over…"

Beast Boy chuckled as she walked off to her room to shower and dress out of her pajama boxers and tank top.

Raven studied him carefully, and gave him a rare smile. "You know how happy she is, don't you?"

Beast Boy nodded. "Yeah. And…so am I."

"But…really. She should be sulking from what happened yesterday."

Beast Boy nodded, and walked to the window beside the dark girl, hands in his pockets as he stared out into the bay thoughtfully. Raven tried to maintain her composure as Very Sexy for Him infiltrated her nostrils.

"I know. She's so strong, but…sometimes I wish I could just grab all her troubles, stuff them in a bottle, and toss it out far as I can into the bay…I hate it that she's gone through so much."

Raven was quiet for a while, thinking about what he just said. She peeked over at him, and was shocked to find tears in his eyes.

"I hate to see her hurt…" he sighed, wiping his eyes.

Raven was quiet for a little longer, before she finally spoke up.

"You know…if there was no such thing as pain, or loss, or whatever…people like us wouldn't come out so strong, right? We rise up from the battle, battered, but we learned something, and we get a second chance if we're lucky enough."

Raven laid a hand on the changeling's shoulder. "Terra's gone through a lot of things that are cruel, inhumane, and just plain shitty…but she's still got that little laugh out of her. It's like you; actually…you've suffered, too."

Raven looked away, crossing her arms over her chest defensively. "I envy you two, actually. How you can live with the pasts you two have, and you can laugh and live…without fear…with love, happiness…it's amazing when you think about it."

She left the room, not even noticing Beast Boy stare after her with wondering eyes at the hardcore truth in her words.

Well, Terra wasn't completely happy, she decided as she stepped into the shower and began to lather herself with the body wash—vanilla scented. She loved vanilla; it reminded her of family holidays such as today.

I guess all of my second chances don't work…

At that very thought, Terra suddenly broke. She let the tears, hot and mixing with the hot shower water, flow down her face. She squeezed some Garnier Fructis shampoo into her hand, and lathered it into her long blonde hair.

She rinsed, and washed her body again, ashamed at her sadness. She felt she should feel at least halfway satisfied, but she still remembered her father's words.

Have you visited your mother's grave yet?

She knew she needed to go back, but…it was so far away…and she didn't want to go, for it was too painful a task. It was the same mother who asked her own daughter to kill her.

I would do it myself, honey…but I can't summon a vine to hang myself…

No, Momma. Don't ask me to do this, I love you, and Daddy does, too. He really does.

Terra, my earth…my terra cotta…please…

Terra hugged her body, lacking curves, and let the tears flow some more.

Her father had not changed a bit. Her past was still behind her as she ran away from it. She told herself she wasn't running anymore. But she was. She always had been.

It was a habit; a deadly, horrible habit.

Terra stepped out of the shower, and dried herself off. She walked over to her bureau, and slipped on a small bra and panties before pulling out a pair of nice jeans and a red turtleneck much like the blue one she wore yesterday. She slipped on some black flats to complete the look.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror, and was a little surprised. With her hair brushed and dried, it looked angelic, seemingly. Her skin seemed to glow, with her scars showing only slightly.

She really looked better—and felt a little better—than she had five days ago. Was it really only five days ago did she see Beast Boy for the first time…?

It seemed more than five days; it felt more like five weeks.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. She rushed over, and opened it up to reveal Beast Boy, so tall, smiling at her.

He had really grown in her absence. He had grown taller, and looked more like a man than a boy.

"You ready? They're all here," he said, offering her his hand.

She nodded. "Yeah. Let's go."

They started down the hall, hand in hand. Beast Boy smiled at her. "You look very nice, Terra," he said simply, but he was intimate; sweet.

She smiled modestly. "Thanks. You don't look too bad, either."

He smiled. "Yeah. Well, I try…"

Terra giggled. "Yeah, I know you do."

As she laughed, her hair swished a little, and he caught a whiff of the fruity scent, and he paused.

"Hold on, there," he said, and he pulled her close, holding her head by his face, sniffing her hair.

"Yes, I still use Garnier Fructis," Terra chuckled.

"Your hair still smells delicious," Beast Boy murmured. "And so does everything else."

"Thanks, Beast Boy. I'm glad to smell Very Sexy for Him not so strongly anymore."

He laughed as they walked through the doors out into the Main Operations Center

After the hellos and introductions, everyone sat down to the table, Beast Boy and Terra sitting across from each other purposefully. Robin and Bumblebee sat at opposite ends of the table, as the leaders of the two major teams.

"Happy Thanksgiving, everyone," Robin began.

"Happy Thanksgiving," they all replied.

"Does…someone want to say the grace?" Starfire asked from her seat next to Robin.

"Please don't pick me; I've done it for the past two years, and I'm not very good at them anyway," Raven stated.

"Beast Boy, you have a lot to be thankful for; why don't you do it?" Bumblebee offered.

"Um…okay," Beast Boy agreed. He had never gotten this honor before.

Immediately, everyone bowed their heads and folded their hands together, silent, waiting for the changeling to begin.

"…God…I just want to say thanks for all of us Titans to be here…all of us," he repeated meaningfully. "We have someone here whom we thought wouldn't come back this soon. I'm just…really glad that she made it in time. And I know everyone else is happy to see her again, too. But…thanks for this family that is the only one most of us have.

"Thanks for the bird, and for all the other things we're about to eat, thanks to the people who prepared it for us. Thanks for…such wonderful friends…thank you. Amen."

Everyone nodded, muttered an "amen", and Terra tried to appear calm and unaffected, but her eyes were swimmy, anyway.

Cyborg brought out the bird, and thus began the feast.

Two hours later, after everyone had gone home, the Titans were cleaning up or sleeping, too full and sleepy to do anything else.

In Terra's room, she and Beast Boy lay together on her bed, taking a catnap together, but not exactly asleep.

"That pumpkin pie Starfire made was delicious," Terra noted.

"Your stuffing was my favorite part. It was way better than Cyborg's," Beast Boy complimented.

"Thanks."

They lay in silence, simply happy to be with one another.

"Terra?"

"Hmm?"

"You know that I'm really, really happy that you're here, right?"

"Of course. I'm happy to be back, too."

Beast Boy readjusted Terra's position, and made her head rest against his chest, so he could stroke her face, her hair.

"I've missed you, too," she whispered, hugging him tightly.

"So…you're staying, huh?" he asked.

"Of course I am, silly!"

"I just wanted to be sure. I don't want to hold you down, Terra."

"…Thanks. That's really respectful."

"I want you to be happy." Beast Boy studied her carefully, his eyes full of care and love.

She stared right back, laying a hand on his chest. "I am happy, Beast Boy. I have what I've always wanted three-fold; a brother, a father, and a lover all rolled into one person."

Beast Boy smiled. "Same for me, only I have a sister and a lover."

The Norah Jones CD in the stereo began the twangy introduction to "Don't Know Why" as the two lovers snuggled underneath the quilt and slunk off into their dreamscape.

Oh, my gosh! Is this story really over!

Well, then. I can't tell you how much fun it's been, writing this thing. I've developed, I believe, in my writing, and I'm already starting on another story following this. Look for it posted soon.

Now, for the thank-you message to my trio of regular reviewers…

Tianimalz: Thank you for all of your enthusiasm and faith in me. You are an exceptional writer and fellow BBTerra shipper, and you stuck with me from the beginning. Nobody ever did that before, and I thank you very much. I consider you a friend.

Clone Daniel: Thank you for all of your simple "Wow! I can't wait to read the next chapter!" reviews. I know they seemed simple, but they really came across, man. It's one thing to say that someone likes the chapter; it's another to say that you liked the chapter so much that you still want to stick around for the next. Thanks, man.

Balkoth: Dude, you were seriously a big help in this story. You offered criticism and hints more than anyone else, and I think it's made me improve, don't you? So far, this is the most successful story I've ever written, and I think I owe about a fourth of it to you. If it weren't for your tips and faith in this story, I don't think it would've come out as well as it did. You're a friend of mine, too, man. Thanks.

Well, until the next story comes, up, goodbye, everyone!

AlohaFox aka Chloe