Chapter XIV: Team Logan
Team Logan arrived in their search area late in the day. They watched the fiery desert sun fall across the horizon as they searched the underbrush for some sign of Gato's underground hide out. Raven knew time was running out. Their group would soon become much smaller.
Several hours after sunset the group decided to take a short rest to catch up on their sleep. The Logans were exhausted. Raven was used to little sleep; she could keep her focus for days if she needed to. She watched as Garfield's family curled up together and slept peacefully under the desert stars.
Beast Boy woke up with his arm tingling fiercely; Terra's head rested on his arm cutting off the circulation to it. He carefully wiggled out from under his wife trying not to wake her. She sighed and rolled over cuddling closer to Aimee. He paused smiling at his two treasures sleeping softly in the night. These moments were fleeting and this would be the only time he would see both his wife and his daughter shine together in the prime of their lives.
He rolled over looking for Raven. She was nowhere to be seen. He looked up on the small hill that overlooked their sleeping spot. Above him he could see Raven's familiar silhouette seated on the ground backed by the twinkling stars. He quietly stood up then carefully made his way up the hill towards her.
Raven sat on the bare hill with her knees curled up to her chest and her hands splayed out behind her as she stared silently into the heavens. She turned and smiled softly at Beast Boy as he made his way towards her and took a seat near her. They both remained quiet listening to the crickets serenade them as they cast their eyes up into the skies above them.
Beast Boy thought her heard a sniffle from his friend. He turned to look at Raven just as she buried her face on her knees and lightly sobbed to herself. Beast Boy remained quiet. If there was one thing he had learned living with women for the past couple of decades it was that there were times when silence worked far better than words.
Raven took a deep breath and composed herself then leaned back and looked back up into the star-filled sky. "I've forgotten how beautiful they are," she said dreamily. Beast Boy looked curiously at her not understanding her reference. "The stars, there're beautiful. It's been so long since I've just sat and looked at them."
She turned to Beast Boy smiling lightly through her tears. He maintained his silence sensing his friend needed to talk.. They both looked back into the stars that dangled so high in front of them.
There was a long silence before Raven's soft voice carried in the darkness. "Morpheus told me long ago that the stars are his kind's last refuge. When mankind cast them aside, toppled their statues, closed their temples, relegated their stories to children's tales and banished them from this realm the last of their followers could look up into the night sky and take comfort knowing their gods still shone above like glowing temples, silently watching over them."
Beast Boy paused as he considered Raven's words. "Now that's beautiful; what you said about the stars."
"Thank you Garfield," Raven replied. "But in truth it's just a poor shadow of how an immortal would describe them." Raven quietly remembered all of the times she had sat enthralled just listening to immortals speak sweetly to each other.
"You're an immortal, right?" Beast Boy spoke up interrupting her thoughts.
Beast Boy watched as Raven pondered his question. He thought he saw another tear fall from her eye. Raven thought about the quiet centuries her life would occupy before the day she and her sons would descend from the heavens to join the mortal race in one last battle against the dark forces. She and a small band of heroes would fight valiantly to hold back the dark tide. They would eventually all fall but their sacrifice would buy precious time for her sons to rally the last bastions of humanity and ultimately defeat the forces opposing them. After the battle the grief-torn brothers would find their fallen mother. Together Daniel and Darien would carry Raven's broken body into the heavens and place her among the stars where she would join all of the other ancient heroes and gods gaining final immortality.
"No," she said softly, "I will eventually taste the bitterness of death like all mortals."
"Raven, why did you leave?" Beast Boy had never understood why she left the Titans and joined Morpheus. This might be the last time he could ask her for an explanation. "Was it something I said?"
Raven looked at her friend and tried to formulate an acceptable answer. She could not tell him about what had caused her to drift into shadow; he didn't deserve to carry that heavy burden. It was after all her silent love for him that sent her into a jealous rage that had nearly banished all of her friends into the deepest parts of hell. It was Morpheus that had rescued her and offered her the hope and salvation of her sons' birth. While Morpheus would never replace her love for Garfield he was attentive and understanding. Through him and her sons Raven had conquered her tempest emotions and found balance and peace.
"No, it wasn't something you said," she laughed lightly to herself. Garfield always had a good sense of humor. "Morpheus just made me an offer I couldn't refuse."
"Then you consummated your relationship when Morpheus abducted you?" Beast Boy asked curiously. And he thought his relationship with Terra was complicated.
Raven laughed at Beast Boy's choice of words. "Consummated, now that's a word I never thought I'd hear you say."
"Hey I've been in college for almost twenty-five years now. I've learned a lot through osmosis," Beast Boy grinned.
Raven smiled as Beast Boy got on a roll. It was time for a counter punch. "Do you really want an answer to your question?" she asked slyly.
"Sure, why not," he replied. They were adults and if Raven wanted to share her sexual exploits with him, what harm could it do?
"Immortals don't reproduce like that. We procreated in the stars." Raven paused as she briefly relived that joyous moment when she, Morpheus, Daniel and Darien were all one. She did this even though she knew her sons' births would ultimately lead to her end. "Technically I'm still a virgin." Raven continued as she watched Beast Boy cringe at her revelation. "Does that bother you?"
"No," Beast Boy tried to compose himself after Raven's explanation. "I'm OK with that. But why did you only have two?"
"Three kids are enough for anyone," Raven replied. "I count Morpheus in that mix too. My kids age much slower than normal. Changing diapers for ten years is a real turn off." Raven didn't mention the breast feeding; that was one issue men would never fully appreciate. "Why do you think the gods used to fool around with mortals so much; no baby duties."
Raven watched as a sad expression washed over Beast Boy's face. "I wish Terra and I could have had more kids. We both wanted a big family, you know a tribe of Logans." Beast Boy swallowed hard then looked down and dug uncomfortably in the dirt. "But the miscarriages." He paused again to regain his composure. "Terra was devastated. After each one she'd be inconsolable. She'd take off into the canyons for days. I couldn't find her. I was scared she'd do something and I'd be all alone. I gave up after the third one; refused to let her try again. I didn't want to put her through that agony any more."
"So what happened?" Raven asked her companion.
Beast Boy looked up and smiled. "Well Terra was very persuasive. A little wine, a little candle light, a little black dress and bang, one shot; that's all we needed. We held our breath for nine and a half months. After all we'd been through Aimee was late. But it all went so smoothly, perfect, not one problem. It was like it was meant to be. Terra was so happy when Aimee was born. I swear she didn't let go of that kid for two weeks straight. She slept in her arms, our arms actually, all of us just cuddled together."
Beast Boy thought back over those happy times spent with his precious family. He suddenly felt a slight tinge of sadness upon the realization that those times had quickly disappeared into ancient history.
"Garfield," Raven's soft voice called to him in the darkness, "you're a good husband, and a good father. You know that already but I think it's important that someone tell you every once in awhile."
Garfield looked into Raven's dark eyes. She sat forward and rested her head on her knees. Her dark hair blew lightly around her face; she was so beautiful. For that one moment both souls contemplated where their lives would have taken them if they had taken the same path together.
"Garfield?" Terra's voice called out from the darkness. "Are you up there?"
"Yea, Raven and I are over here." Beast Boy replied.
Terra trudged up towards them with her arms wrapped around herself trying to fend off the desert chill. Beast Boy genuinely smiled as Terra lowered herself into his lap. He quickly wrapped his loving arms around her.
"That's much better," Terra replied as she felt her husband's warm body press against hers. "What are you guys up to?" she asked.
"Just talking about boring stuff like our spouses and kids," Beast Boy quickly replied.
"Oh so I'm boring now," Terra briefly chided him. "Tell me, what boring revelations have you two come up with?"
"Looks like all of us eloped," Beast Boy offered. Beast Boy and Terra had married on a beach in St. Thomas since neither really had family who would attend.
"Well almost all of us," Raven corrected her companion. "Remember Cyborg and Bumble Bee had a nice wedding."
The others sat in silence as they thought back to Cyborg's grand wedding.
"Yea," Terra said softly. "I wish those two could have worked out their differences. I feel so bad for them sometimes."
"Well they both still have the Titans to keep them busy," Beast Boy offered. Both had returned to their respective towers and groups after their divorce.
"Cyborg still calls her once in awhile," Raven added unexpectedly. "He's told me he still thinks about her. Maybe when they're both done with the Titans they'll get back together."
"Do you really think Cyborg and Bumble Bee will ever walk away from this?" Terra asked in a resigned voice.
"Maybe," Raven added hopefully. She knew she had grown weary of being a hero.
"They could have an accident like Robin and Starfire did," Beast Boy said in jest.
Terra laughed lightly, "That's not really funny Garfield. You know Cyborg can't have kids."
"What do you think the Titans are?" Beast Boy corrected his wife. "They're his kids and his family. We all are."
The three friends sat silently contemplating Beast Boy's last statement. They all turned as they heard someone else coming towards them.
"Mom, Dad is that you?" Aimee's groggy voice called out from the darkness.
"Over her honey," Terra called to her daughter.
Aimee stumbled over and collapsed into her mother's waiting arms. She cuddled close to her mother as Terra wrapped her arms around her. Raven watched as Garfield wrapped his arms around the two most important women in his life. The three snuggled closely drawing a deep strength from one another. Three was such a powerful number.
"I'm freezing," Aimee shivered as she waited for the human cocoon she was entwined in to warm her. "Why did you guys leave me all alone?"
"Oh we were just talking about grown up stuff," Terra answered.
"Real loud too," Aimee added. "I'm sure Gato knows we're coming."
"It doesn't matter," Garfield said confidently. "We're still gonna kick their butts." He squeezed both his girls tightly in his arms.
Garfield drew in a deep breath savoring this glorious moment surrounded by all the women he loved and wishing he could freeze it for eternity. Raven watched as he unexpectantly collapsed on his back and then began frantically waving his arms back in forth. Terra and Aimee glanced over their shoulders watching Beast Boy's strange antics.
"OK," Terra began cautiously, "what do you think you're doing?"
Beast Boy continued to wave his arms back and forth as if signaling something to the stars above. "I'm waving to Daniel and Darien. Raven said immortals live in the stars. Don't you think they're watching us now?"
The other girls turned to Raven awaiting an answer. Raven thought about this possibility for a moment. "Knowing my sons I'm almost positive they are," she replied. Raven looked up into the stars drawing some comfort from them.
Terra and Aimee leaned back falling hard on Beast Boy's stomach and groin. He grunted as the two girls laughed momentarily. Terra and Aimee both cast their eyes skyward and began waving their arms back and forth. Soon the whole Logan family was waving skyward.
"Come on Raven," Beast Boy called out to her. "Aren't you going to wave to your kids?"
Raven looked up for a moment then flopped back on the ground and waved her arms back and forth. A tear fell from her eye as she thought of her sons sitting in their castle home silently waving back to her through the stars.