AN: Nope, no ownership yet… deal with it

A Weekend with Grandparents

Raven felt nervous again, though she knew she shouldn't. She was visiting her grandparents for a three day weekend. And she was all alone this time. Beast Boy, of course, had offered to go with her, but she told him that it was obvious they and he didn't get along. Besides, she wanted to see what it was like to be all alone with her grandparents.

"And this is where you'll be staying," said Mary as she opened the door to a bedroom. "It was your mother's."

Raven looked around it, taking in the fact that her mother once lived in this room; grew up in this room. It looked like a typical girl room, but it wasn't too girly. It was just feminine enough; warm and comfortable. Raven had never stayed in a normal room like this before.

"It's very nice," was all Raven was able to say as she placed her bag on the floor.

"I'll leave you to get settled in," said Mary. "And then we can cook dinner."

"We?" asked Raven. "As in, together?"

"Of course," said Mary with a smile. "Haven't you ever helped in the kitchen before?"

"I've helped start it on fire once," said Raven with a small chuckle.

"Well, I'll teach you the tricks of the trade," said Mary, patting Raven on the shoulder. "There hasn't been a woman in our family that couldn't cook."

"Well, I hope I don't break the streak," said Raven with a nervous smile.

"Don't worry, dear," said Mary. "With me around, you'll never start anything on fire again." She smiled warmly and then left, closing the door.

Raven stood there for a moment, taking in the feel of the room. She slowly went over to the bed and sat down. It was soft and plush. The comforter was filled with down and ensured a toasty bed. The bed was right next to one of the windows and she gazed out it. She could see the little backyard of the house and beyond the fence laid a field that led to the woods. The trees were still bright with colors, but were beginning to grow bare.

She eventually crawled off of her bed and looked around. She saw her mother's old desk and found it to be completely clean. She guessed her grandmother dusted it every day. She looked through the draws, but found nothing. She had hoped she could learn a little more about her mother while she was here, but there was nothing there to help her.

After she put the few items she had brought with her away she decided to go down to the kitchen to help her grandmother. As she walked down the stairs she saw many pictures, pictures that included her mother. In a few she was smiling and happy, but in the others she looked rather miserable. She actually looked like how Raven used to look when they took pictures of her.

She peered into the kitchen and saw her grandmother in her apron, cutting up some carrots. She turned and saw Raven. "Come on in," she said with a smile. "There's an apron for you hanging over the chair. And I would take off that cloak and push up your sleeves."

Raven did as she was asked and then went to help her grandmother. "So… what should I do?" asked Raven, who really knew nothing about cooking.

"First, you need to wash your hands," said Mary. "Then why don't you take this pot, fill it with water, and place it on the stove for me?" Raven did and then waited for her next order. "See this dough? Roll it into little cakes and put them on this pan." Raven took little pieces of the dough and began to make little cakes the best she could. She constantly asked her grandmother if she was doing right, and if she wasn't her grandmother would tell her how to do it correctly. She could feel herself soaking in every bit of new information she was learning.

Raven couldn't believe how long it took to make dinner from scratch. There was so much preparation and the actual cooking was, to her, complicated and hectic when there were five things going on at once. But her grandmother did it without even thinking twice.

"What next?" asked Raven nearly two hours later.

"Now we serve it," said Mary with a smile as she held up a roasted chicken.

"So… we're done?" asked Raven.

"That's right," Mary chuckled.

"But shouldn't we wait for grandfather?" asked Raven.

"He'll be home in… three… two… one…" said Mary, listening.

Suddenly the two heard the front door open and close. Raven was impressed by Mary's timing. Peter was the manager of the main Gotham supermarket where he had worked since he was fifteen. He was a highly respected member of society and just about everyone knew him in one way or another.

Mary and Raven went out to the dining room and began serving the food. This all felt so strange to Raven, but Mary tried to make it feel as natural as possible. Everything just seemed so perfect. Peter stepped into the dining room and had a large smile on his face.

"Raven, you're here!" he said, walking over to her. He hugged her and, once again, Raven couldn't help stiffening a bit.

"And she helped cook dinner," said Mary with a smile.

"More like tagged along," said Raven humbly. "I mainly watched and lent a hand when needed."

"Don't be like that, be proud!" said Mary as she took her apron off. "I finished in half of the time and that's because you were there to do half of the work."

"I just hope the food doesn't taste bad because I had a hand in it," said Raven as she sat down.

"Nonsense!" Peter laughed. "If it tastes half as good as it smells you've done phenomenally."

Raven gave a smile, but still felt nervous about the food. After saying grace they began to serve themselves and Raven watched their expressions closely to see if either winced or looked like they were going to be sick. She wasn't going to taste her food until she knew it was safe.

Both her grandparents began to eat and they gave Raven a smile. She let out a relieved sigh and began to eat herself. She was surprised at how good it was. It was a normal, family meal, but to Raven it was exotic and new to her. And she really couldn't believe that she had helped to create this meal, it was just too tasty! She couldn't wait to go home and tell her friends that she had helped in creating a more than decent dinner and no one got sick.

That night both her grandparents gave her a kiss goodnight before she went up to bed. She felt like she was in a parallel universe or something. This was all too surreal for her. When she went upstairs she found a folded nightgown on her bed with a note on it.

Raven,

This was your mother's favorite nightgown before she left. I hope you like it, too.

Your Grandmother

Raven set the note aside and decided to try the nightgown on. It was surprisingly soft and it was clear that it was well loved. She sat at the small vanity and brushed her hair out before going to bed. For a moment she actually looked like her mother. She could picture her sitting where she was sitting and brushing her own hair before going to bed, wearing the same nightgown.

'So, this is what it's like to live with a normal family,' she thought to herself as she braided her long hair. 'And to live a normal life. It's quite… comfortable. Not at all awkward and boring as I thought it would be. I actually like it.'

She smiled to herself and then went to bed. The sheets were soft and the bed itself was cushiony. The window was right near the head of the bed, so she was able to look out it while she lay there. She was able to see the stars and she smiled to herself. Never had she ever felt so… at home.

The next day her grandmother was taking her out clothes shopping. Both her grandparents agreed that her uniform was a bit revealing, since both of her legs were entirely exposed, and she needed some real clothes. Raven had never exactly worn anything other than her leotard and cloak, except the once in a while costume for a party. And she never went clothes shopping, but that was mainly because Starfire wanted to drag her to the mall so they could try on clothes and chat. She just wasn't one of those girls.

"What colors do you like?" asked Mary as they walked through the clothing store.

"Blue's my favorite, actually," said Raven. "But I don't mind white or purple or black."

"Well, we're going to stay away from black," said Mary. "Far too dark. Besides, you have no reason to wear black; you're thin enough to wear any color you want. But I can work with the white, the blue, and the purple."

Her grandmother began to select shirts and pants for Raven. Then she went over to the dress and skirt section and Raven began to get worried.

"Grandmother, I'm not really a dress or skirt person," said Raven.

"Why?" asked Mary.

"I don't know," said Raven. "I've just never worn them."

"Well, can you at least try on a few for me?" she asked.

"If you want me to," said Raven.

Mary smiled and piled a bunch of skirts and dresses into the carriage. Raven couldn't believe she would have to try on all of these articles of clothing. This really was like she was in another world. It wasn't long before the carriage was full and Raven had to go to the dressing room.

It took her nearly an hour to try on everything and get her grandmother's feedback. Some of it was a little old fashioned, but some of it was also pretty decent. Raven never really liked to show her body off anyway, so wearing pants and long sleeved shirts were actually pretty comfortable. She really battled with herself on the whole skirt and dress issue. Eventually she gave in and tried the darn things on. She found that they weren't as bad as she thought. Not only that, but they made her feel rather… free. She liked that feeling.

In the end she had an entire wardrobe. She even left the store in a real outfit, with her uniform in one of the bags. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a blue turtleneck. Her grandmother was quite pleased and complimented her many times on how pretty she looked. Raven couldn't help smiling and feeling rather… loved.

They went to her grandfather's supermarket to say hello after that. He could barely recognize her and gave her a large hug when he saw her. Raven was now starting to get use to these embraces and she was beginning to feel a little more comfortable.

"You really look much better," said Peter. "I really don't want to see you in that leotard again."

"I'll only wear it when I'm on missions," Raven promised.

"Good," said Peter, smiling. A young man was just passing by and Peter grabbed him. "Oh, Raven, I have someone I'd like you to meet. This is Paul Larkin. Paul, this is my granddaughter I've been telling you about."

Raven couldn't help but feel her heart flutter. He was very very handsome with dark brown hair and green eyes. There was a splash of freckles on his nose that ran into his cheeks. He gave her a shy smile and she could see that he had dimples. He looked to be of an average height and build, and that was just fine with her.

"It's nice to meet you," said Paul, sticking his hand out to her.

"Uh, yeah, you too," said Raven, hesitantly giving her hand to him.

"Paul goes to my prayer group," said Peter. "And he's been working here since he was… how old were you when I hired you?"

"Fifteen," Paul chuckled. "That was seven years ago."

"I'm guessing you like working in the grocer business," said Raven, feeling her cheeks burn.

"Not really, but it helps pay the bills," said Paul with a smile. "I just graduated from college last year."

"Oh, what did you study?" asked Raven.

"I graduated with my bachelors in English Literature," said Paul. "I love to read. I'm hoping to be an author."

"Really?" said Raven, her interest suddenly heightened even more.

Peter and Mary watched as Raven and Paul talked. It was clear that there was chemistry between these two. They watched as Raven let out an occasionally chuckle and looked rather flustered talking to him. And he seemed rather nervous as well. There had been an immediate attraction, and that was just what her grandparents were hoping for.